A 55-year-old Palestinian woman has been hospitalized after she was brutally clubbed over the head with a stick by a masked Israeli settler while she was gathering olives. The violent encounter took place on Sunday morning in the village of Turmus Ayya in the occupied West Bank and was recorded by an American journalist. The attacker reportedly struck the woman, identified locally as Umm Saleh Abu Alia, twice, first knocking her unconscious and then hitting her again as she lay on the ground.
According to witnesses, including the journalist who captured the footage, Israeli soldiers were present before the assault and allegedly facilitated the settlers’ attack. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that their forces dispersed the confrontation upon arrival and condemned any form of settler violence. However, the witness account suggests soldiers may have left the scene just before the settlers initiated the attack, an allegation the BBC has presented to the IDF for comment.
The village of Turmus Ayya has a significant population of US citizens and residents, prompting the BBC to reach out to the US State Department and the embassy for their statement.
The victim, a mother of five, sustained head injuries and was initially in intensive care but is now reported to be in a stable condition. The incident is part of a wider pattern of violence affecting Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season, which began on October 9th. This harvest is a crucial cultural and economic event for many Palestinians, but it is increasingly fraught with danger. Settlers are reported to be targeting farmers and activists, with numerous incidents involving stone-throwing, car torching, and property damage documented in recent weeks. Official investigations into settler violence have yielded very low conviction rates, according to Israeli civil rights groups.