Warsaw condemns attack on European diplomats by Israeli settlers

Poland has expressed deep outrage and demanded urgent explanations from Israel following an attack on a European diplomatic delegation, including Polish officials, in the occupied West Bank.

Masked people at the site where Belgium's foreign minister says masked settlers attacked Palestinians, Catholic representatives and Western diplomats and officials, in Taybeh, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 17, 2026. A screengrab from a video obtained from social media.

Photo: Amit Orfali/via REUTERS

The incident took place on Saturday in Taybeh, a predominantly Christian Palestinian village, were diplomats from Poland, France and Belgium had travelled during the annual olive harvest.

According to witnesses cited by the French news agency AFP, masked settlers confronted the delegation as they attempted to prevent Palestinian residents from harvesting olives.

The attackers reportedly demanded identification documents, threatened members of the group and damaged a Belgian diplomatic vehicle.

Among those assaulted was Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France. Witnesses told AFP that he was kicked during the confrontation. He reportedly sustained injuries but did not require hospital treatment.

🚨BREAKING: A diplomatic delegation comprising representatives from France, Belgium, and Poland came under attack by Israeli settlers while attending the olive harvest in the Palestinian village of Taybeh, in the occupied West Bank. Footage appears to show Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, on the ground following the assault. Masked Israeli settlers also smashed the windows of a Belgian consular vehicle and demanded identification documents.

— Kegham Balian (@kbalian90) October 17, 2026

Polish diplomats were unharmed, according to Poland’s Foreign Ministry. Its spokesman, Maciej Wewiór, said preliminary information indicated that Israeli settlers may have been responsible for the attack.

“We express our deep outrage and strongly condemn this incident,” Wewiór said, stressing that Poland had consistently opposed violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

“Attacks on members of the diplomatic corps are absolutely unacceptable,” he added.

💬 @RzecznikMSZ:

— Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych RP 🇵🇱 (@MSZ_RP) October 17, 2026

Poland's Foreign Ministry has called on Israeli authorities to provide urgent and detailed explanations, identify those responsible and ensure they are held accountable.

Warsaw has also urged Israel to take effective measures to prevent similar incidents, while remaining in contact with its international partners to establish the circumstances of the attack.

Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych RP potępia atak ze strony zamaskowanych osadników w miejscowości Taybeh na Zachodnim Brzegu. Napaść do jakiej doszło podczas wizyty solidarnościowej w miejscowości znanej z wielowiekowej obecności chrześcijańskiej, jest kolejnym dowodem na istnienie przemocy osadniczej, z którą ludność palestyńska na Zachodnim Brzegu mierzy się na co dzień. Atak powinien spotkać się ze stanowczą reakcją władz Izraela. Solidaryzujemy się z oświadczeniami Ministrów Spraw Zagranicznych Francji i Belgii. Apelujemy o powtrzymanie spirali przemocy na Zachodnim Brzegu i działanie w duchu poszanowania prawa międzynarodowego.

— Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych RP 🇵🇱 (@MSZ_RP) October 18, 2026

The incident drew contrasting reactions from within Israel’s government.

It was condemned by Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who described the violence as serious and said police had opened an investigation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, meanwhile, questioned accounts of the incident, suggesting they could be part of an effort to discredit Israel and Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

No arrests had been announced at the time of reporting.

The incident comes ahead of a parliamentary election in Israel's scheduled for October 27, with Netanyahu facing a closely contested race to retain power. 

 

(mo)

Source: PAP, Reuters, AFP