Masked Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinian Farmers, Woman Critically Injured

A Palestinian woman was critically injured in Turmus Ayya, a village in the central West Bank, after a group of masked Israeli settlers attacked her with a wooden stick, leaving her in a critical condition. The shocking assault, captured on video by US journalist Jasper Nathaniel, shows the attacker repeatedly striking the 55-year-old Palestinian farmer on her head. The woman, Afaf Abu Alia, also known as Umm Saleh, had gone to her family’s olive field to participate in the seasonal harvest when the attack occurred.

The video reveals a young male settler wielding a large wooden stick with a knot, swinging it violently as he targeted Alia. Witnesses say the attacker knocked her unconscious and continued hitting her while she lay on the ground. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit after suffering a severe brain haemorrhage. Two other people were also injured, including a Palestinian and a foreign national assisting during the olive harvest season, highlighting the risks faced by Palestinian farmers and humanitarian volunteers alike.

The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from observers worldwide. Nathaniel, who filmed the attack, accused the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) of luring residents into an ambush and then failing to intervene when the settlers struck. Contrarily, the IDF stated that its forces dispersed the confrontation and condemned any acts of violence, emphasizing their duty to maintain order. Despite official statements, no arrests have been made, raising concerns about accountability for settler violence in the West Bank.

International human rights advocates have taken notice of the incident. Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Palestine, highlighted the repeated attacks on Palestinians during the olive harvest season. Sharing the video on social media, she condemned the lack of action by Israeli authorities and questioned the moral responsibility of Israeli citizens who remain silent while such violence continues. The incident underscores the ongoing tension in the West Bank, where Palestinian farmers frequently face harassment and attacks from settlers during critical agricultural periods.

This brutal assault has drawn global attention to the dangers Palestinian farmers face in the West Bank and raises urgent questions about accountability, protection, and human rights. As the injured woman fights for her life in the ICU, international calls for justice and stronger protection for Palestinian communities are intensifying.