Fri Oct 10 21:05:55 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Dozens Injured, Journalists Attacked Amid Escalating Violence During Palestinian Olive Harvest**
NABLUS, West Bank – At least 36 people, including several journalists, were injured in a surge of violence by Israeli military forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank near Nablus on Friday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The attacks occurred as Palestinian farmers were harvesting olives, a crucial source of livelihood for many families.
The Ministry reported that two individuals sustained injuries from live fire, while others suffered from beatings and physical assaults. The incidents took place in the towns of Beita, Huwara, and Deir Sharaf.
According to Wafa news agency, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in the Jabal Qamas area of Beita, beating them and setting fire to three vehicles. Among those targeted was Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Jaafar Ishtayeh, who described the attack as unprecedented in his 30-year career. “If I hadn’t managed to escape, they would have killed me,” he said.
Ishtayeh reported being struck by stones in the back, arm, and hand, and his vehicle was stoned and set on fire. He also stated that Israeli soldiers present before the attack did nothing to stop the settlers.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society treated seven injured individuals, including journalists Ishtayeh and Wahaj Bani Moufleh. Two other journalists, Yazan Hamayel and Sujja al-Alami, suffered from tear gas inhalation as Israeli soldiers fired stun grenades and tear gas during raids in the area.
Simultaneously, Israeli forces conducted raids in Nablus and Tubas, arresting residents and deploying military vehicles. In the el-Bireh governorate, six Palestinians were arrested while harvesting olives in Kafr Nima after being assaulted by settlers.
The olive harvest season is frequently marred by increased settler violence, a pattern documented by numerous organizations. More than 700,000 settlers reside in settlements and outposts across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, considered illegal under international law.
According to official Palestinian figures, more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by settlers and Israeli army soldiers, and over 20,000 have been arrested, since the genocide in Gaza began two years ago.
There were about 1,800 settler attacks across the occupied West Bank between October 7, 2023, and December 16, 2024, according to data collected by Tech for Palestine, a collective of tech volunteers that monitors rights abuses.
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