According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian on October 7, armed Jewish settlers beat a photographer while Israeli soldiers were present, forcing him to be hospitalized. At the time of the incident, the photographer was reporting on the increasing violence perpetrated by settlers on the occupied West Bank against olive growers.
Fifty-eight-year-old Jaafar Ashtiye is a veteran photojournalist for France Press, based in Palestine. Despite having obvious journalist identification marks, he was assaulted by a group of Jewish settlers using rifles. The attack occurred under the observation of approximately ten armed Israeli soldiers.
According to witnesses, his family, and fellow reporters, Ashtey suffered injuries to the head and torso, and was then taken to the hospital.
When he was attacked, violent actions by Israeli settlers on the West Bank were intensifying. It is reported that olives are the lifeblood of the Palestinian economy; every year, Jewish settlers attack Palestinian farmers who attempt to harvest olives, and the perpetrators are rarely held accountable legally. As Israeli elections approach at the end of this month, the violence during this year’s harvest season has been particularly severe.
At that time, Ashtiye and another AFP photographer, John Veselos, were near the northern village of Akraba. They noticed an Israeli soldier detained a man while local Palestinians were picking olives.
A four-wheeled motorcycle suddenly rushed towards a French journalist at the hill. A man in the motorcycle fired shots, and a Palestinian fell to the ground. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the person was shot in the foot and has been taken to the hospital.
Subsequently, at least six people rushed towards the AFP reporters and shot them. When Ashtiye tried to enter a car clearly marked with the word "news," two men attacked him, repeatedly beating him with the butt of their rifles. The attackers also stole Ashtiye's photography equipment.
According to photographer Veseres, at the time of the attack, there were at least a dozen Israeli soldiers about 500 meters away. He said, “I could hear his screams.” He himself was also threatened with a gun.
Ashtier is conscious in a hospital in Nablus. His son said that Ashtier has undergone an X-ray examination, and no fractures were found, but he will still be hospitalized for 24 hours to observe his condition.
AFP has asked the Israeli military for comment. Phil Chetwend, director of global news at AFP, said: "We strongly condemn this serious attack on journalists who attempt to report on events in the West Bank. We demand a thorough investigation. It is unacceptable that journalists were beaten and robbed by armed settlers in front of Israeli security forces, and that the security forces did not take any action."
The Association of Foreign Journalists representing international media working in Israel and Palestinian territories stated that they are "deeply shocked" by this incident. The association said, "The Israeli authorities must investigate why soldiers in the region did not intervene in the attack on a journalist with a known identity. This attack is an act of open intimidation against the media and attempts to hinder accurate reporting from the West Bank. International media have the responsibility to tell the stories of all parties and will not retreat from personal attacks or threats."
According to the United Nations Office on Human Rights, in 2025, Israel will be the country with the most journalists killed globally. At least 225 journalists have been killed in Lebanon and Gaza.
Media rights organizations also say that Israeli settlers are increasingly targeting journalists, and authorities are also setting up more and more obstacles to reporting.
According to the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders, based in Paris, over the past three years since the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have detained 19 journalists in the West Bank, including a AFP contributor.
