Jaafar Ashtiyeh, a 58-year-old photographer working for Agence France-Presse in Palestine, sustained injuries to his head and torso after being assaulted by a group of armed Israeli settlers. The attack occurred as Ashtiyeh and fellow AFP photographer John Wessels documented events near the northern village of Aqraba. Despite wearing clearly marked press identification, Ashtiyeh was beaten with rifle butts by multiple attackers, and his camera equipment was taken during the incident. Approximately a dozen armed Israeli soldiers were present in the vicinity but did not intervene, according to witness accounts.
The assault took place during an incident involving the olive harvest, a critical economic activity for Palestinians in the West Bank. Wessels reported that a man on a quad bike fired live ammunition, injuring a Palestinian who was then hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the foot. As Ashtiyeh attempted to reach a vehicle marked with press credentials, multiple men attacked him while soldiers remained at a distance of roughly 500 metres away. Wessels, who was also threatened at gunpoint during the altercation, reported hearing Ashtiyeh’s screams during the beating.
Ashtiyeh was transported to a hospital in Nablus and remained conscious following the attack. Medical examinations including X-rays did not reveal broken bones, though he was kept for continued observation. The incident reflects broader tensions in the West Bank, where settler violence against Palestinians has intensified. International media organizations, including the Foreign Press Association, condemned the attack and called for investigations into why soldiers failed to intervene against clearly identified journalists.
The attack occurs amid a documented pattern of escalating violence during the olive harvest season, when Palestinian farmers face regular attacks from settlers with minimal legal consequences. Media rights organizations have documented increasing attempts to intimidate journalists and obstruct coverage of West Bank developments. Authorities have also faced scrutiny regarding detentions of journalists in the region over recent years.
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