Jaafar Ashtiyeh, a 58-year-old AFP photographer, was assaulted by a group of settlers who beat him with the butts of their rifles despite his clearly marked press vehicle, according to witnesses and fellow journalists. The attack occurred near the northern village of Aqraba as Ashtiyeh and another AFP photographer, John Wessels, were covering the olive harvest – an economic lifeline for Palestinians that comes under annual attack from settlers.
Wessels said a quad bike raced toward the journalists, and a man on it opened live fire. One Palestinian was shot in the foot and hospitalised, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. At least six other armed people then rushed the AFP journalists. As Ashtiyeh tried to enter his press-marked car, two men jumped on him and beat him repeatedly. A group of at least a dozen Israeli soldiers were about 500 metres away at the time, Wessels reported. The assailants also took Ashtiyeh's camera equipment.
Ashtiyeh suffered bruises to his head and torso and was taken to hospital in Nablus. His son, Zain Jaafar, said X-rays detected no broken bones but he remained under observation. The man who initially fired the gun wore a long white shirt and military fatigue trousers and boots, commonly worn by soldiers, Wessels noted.
AFP has asked the Israeli military for comment. Settlers are rarely arrested or charged for attacks against Palestinians. Phil Chetwynd, AFP's global news director, strongly condemned the attack and demanded a full investigation, saying it was unacceptable that journalists could be beaten and robbed in front of Israeli security forces who made no attempt to intervene. The Foreign Press Association, representing international media in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said it was deeply alarmed and called on Israeli authorities to investigate.