A veteran AFP photographer, 58-year-old Jaafar Ashtiyeh, was brutally assaulted by armed Israeli settlers while documenting the ongoing tensions surrounding olive harvests in the West Bank this Tuesday. The attack occurred as Ashtiyeh and his colleagues were covering settler violence against local farmers. Witnesses reported that the journalists were approached by a man on a quadbike who opened live fire, wounding a Palestinian man in the foot, before a group of settlers rushed the press crew. Despite being in a vehicle clearly marked "Press," Ashtiyeh was forcibly removed and struck repeatedly with the butts of rifles by his assailants, who also confiscated his professional camera gear.

The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from global media organizations, as the assault took place within view of Israeli soldiers who reportedly failed to intervene. Ashtiyeh, who fortunately sustained no broken bones, remains under hospital observation in Nablus following the ordeal. Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, labeled the attack "unacceptable," while the Foreign Press Association expressed deep alarm over the clear attempt to intimidate the press. This violence highlights the increasingly dangerous environment for journalists reporting on the West Bank, where tensions have escalated alongside frequent settler incursions onto Palestinian-owned lands.