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Armed Israeli settlers attacked journalists and activists in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, beating them and threatening to open fire, according to one of the journalists targeted.

Separately, the Israeli army and Israeli settlers carried out seven attacks within 12 hours on Palestinian farmers harvesting olives, their land and solidarity activists, a PLO-affiliated commission said.

Journalists attacked in Hebron

Adele Shoko, a journalist holding Russian and Israeli citizenship, said in a statement on a social media account that Shoko, United States journalist and activist Jasper Nathaniel and Russian-Israeli citizen journalist Andrey Krasnovski were attacked by Israelis who seized Palestinian land.

Shoko said the armed assailants beat the group and threatened to shoot them. The attackers stole Shoko's glasses and Krasnovski's mobile phone, and pepper spray was sprayed in Nathaniel's face, Shoko added.

Krasnovski sustained a concussion and lost consciousness several times while being held, Shoko said. According to the account, the armed Israelis prevented an ambulance that arrived at the scene from evacuating Krasnovski, leaving the injured journalist waiting alone in the vehicle for an extended period without permission to be taken to hospital. Shoko said in a follow-up statement that the ambulance eventually took Krasnovski to a police station instead of a hospital.

Seven attacks on farmers within 12 hours

The Israeli army and Israeli settlers carried out seven attacks within 12 hours against Palestinian farmers harvesting olives, their farmland and solidarity activists in the occupied West Bank, according to the commission against the separation wall and Jewish settlements, which is affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

More than 50 olive and almond trees were uprooted and numerous structures and garden walls were demolished, the statement said. It added that some water wells were put out of use in attacks in Bethlehem, and that the Israeli army detained four Palestinians harvesting olives in Nablus.

Commission calls for international action

The PLO-affiliated commission said attacks on Palestinian farmers increase during the olive harvest season, and that the assaults continued even as attention in Israel was focused on election results. It called on the international community to intervene immediately to protect Palestinian farmers and to hold Israel accountable for these actions.

Settlements across the occupied West Bank

The Kfar Etzion settlement in the southern West Bank is regarded as the first Jewish settlement, having been established right after Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967. Hundreds of further settlements were built later in the West Bank, where Palestinian figures count 365 illegal settlement sites: 141 settlements and 224 outposts set up by Jewish groups that are also considered unauthorized under Israeli law.

According to 2024 data from the Israeli civil society group Peace Now, about 3 million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, while the Israeli population on seized Palestinian land has passed 500,000. Palestinian statistics put the number of Israelis in the 141 settlements and 224 outposts at about 750,000, of whom roughly 250,000 live in 15 settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.

The establishment of Jewish settlements on occupied land and the transfer of Israel's population there are considered illegal under international law.

Key takeaways

• Armed Israeli settlers beat journalists and activists in Hebron, stole a phone and glasses and threatened to shoot, according to journalist Adele Shoko.
• Injured journalist Andrey Krasnovski suffered a concussion and lost consciousness several times while being held; an ambulance took Krasnovski to a police station instead of a hospital.
• Seven attacks in 12 hours targeted Palestinian olive farmers, their land and solidarity activists; more than 50 olive and almond trees were uprooted.
• Palestinian figures count 365 illegal settlement sites in the occupied West Bank, with about 750,000 Israeli settlers living in them.