EU calls for Israeli settlers who attacked European diplomats in Taybeh, West Bank, to be held accountable

The European Union is calling on Israel to hold accountable those responsible for settler attacks on European diplomats and to take measures to protect Palestinians and journalists. The position, published on October 18, 2026, follows the incident in Taybeh, which occurred during a solidarity visit with farmers harvesting olives.

In brief

In Taybeh, diplomats from France, Belgium, and Poland were targeted in the settlers’ attack on October 17. France also confirmed the assault of the mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries.

The EU is calling for accountability for those responsible, the prevention of violence, and an end to the expansion of Israeli settlements. Poland condemned the attack, while Belgium supports sanctions against those responsible and their supporters.

Israeli police announced ten arrests over the weekend’s violence. A subsequent update indicated that two suspects were involved in the attack on the diplomats in Taybeh.

OCHA documented 199 harvest-related attacks between September 1 and October 12, with one Palestinian killed, 124 injured, and more than 2,500 trees and saplings damaged. The period predates the incident in Taybeh.

The EU’s diplomatic statement does not introduce sanctions. The European package of May 28, targeting four entities and three individuals, predates the attack.

The French Foreign Ministry confirmed that the mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries and representatives of several diplomatic missions, including the French, Belgian, and Polish consuls general, were targeted in the attack. Paris called for those responsible to be arrested and tried, as well as for civilians and diplomatic personnel to be protected.

The assaulted mayor is Bernard Baudoux. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said that Catholic representatives were also targeted and pledged that Belgium would continue to support European sanctions, according to the Associated Press. Poland called for a firm response from Israel and an end to the escalation of violence.

The European External Action Service welcomed the condemnations issued by several Israeli representatives, but called for accountability and effective measures against the continuation of violence. The request also concerns the harassment of Palestinians during the harvest season, as well as attacks on journalists. The EU is calling for respect for international humanitarian law and human rights.

The investigation is no longer merely at the initial announcement stage. On October 19, Israeli police announced the arrest of ten people following the weekend’s violence, which included the attack on the diplomats and the assault of photojournalist Heidi Levine in Abu Falah.

In an update that evening, The Times of Israel reported, citing police, that the court had extended the detention of seven of the ten suspects until October 21. Two were being held in connection with the attack in Taybeh, four in connection with the one in Abu Falah, while other suspicions concerned entering a home and violating an order designating a closed military zone. These are investigative measures, not convictions.

According to OCHA, harvesting supports 80,000–100,000 Palestinian families. The report dated October 15 records, for September 1–October 12, one Palestinian killed, 124 injured, and more than 2,500 trees and saplings damaged in 199 harvest-related attacks. Of those injured, 92 were victims of settlers, while 32 were victims of Israeli forces in the context of the incidents. The data predates the attack in Taybeh.

The EU statement of October 18 is distinct from the sanctions already adopted. On May 28, 2026, the Council of the EU added four more entities and three individuals to the European sanctions regime for serious human rights violations, citing abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The measures include asset freezes and a prohibition on providing funds or economic resources to those included on the list; individuals are also subject to travel bans. They predate the incident in Taybeh. Belgium’s support for additional sanctions is a political position, and the EEAS statement does not represent a new sanctions decision.

France reiterated that the expansion of Israeli settlements contravenes international law and undermines the two-state solution. In the European response, the protection of diplomats is thus part of a broader call for civilian safety and the prevention of violence in the occupied West Bank.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/ue-cere-tragerea-la-raspundere-a-colonistilor-israelieni-care-au-atacat-diplomati-europeni-in-cisiordania