European diplomats attacked by Israeli settlers in West Bank

Key Points:

• A delegation of European diplomats from Belgium, France, Poland, and the Catholic Church was attacked by masked Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Taybeh while assessing settler violence against Palestinians during the olive harvest.
• Belgium condemned the assault on its consul general and other envoys, calling on Israel to bring the perpetrators to justice and urging EU sanctions against those responsible and their supporters.
• The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) condemned the violence and launched an investigation but noted no soldiers were present during the attack and questioned the sequence of events based on social media footage.
• Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office suggested the incident might be part of a "coordinated campaign to smear Israel," while Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the violence but criticized the diplomats for not coordinating their visit with the IDF.
• The attack followed another recent settler assault injuring Palestinians and a Washington Post photographer, highlighting ongoing tensions and violence in the occupied West Bank.