By Middle East Correspondent
LONDON, (The Muslim News): Israeli settlers attacked a European diplomatic delegation and Palestinian olive pickers in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, injuring residents and smashing the window of a Belgian diplomatic vehicle, in an incident that reportedly left the Israeli army and police absent for three hours after being alerted.
The attack took place in Taybeh, central occupied West Bank, after a ceremony marking a twinning agreement between the Palestinian town and Saint-Pierre in France, Taybeh Mayor Suleiman Khourieh told Anadolu.
The delegation included the French and Belgian consuls, a Polish representative and Saint-Pierre Mayor Christian Ravain. Settlers targeted the visitors and Palestinians harvesting olives in the western part of the town, Khourieh said.
Israeli Army Radio, citing witnesses and footage, reported that settlers hurled stones at a diplomatic vehicle, shattering its window. Footage showed Bernard Boudot, a French politician and mayor of Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes in northern France, lying on the ground beside the vehicle after the attack.
Activists accompanying the delegation sent the Israeli army’s operations room the location and video evidence two minutes after the attack began. Yet, according to the broadcaster, no Israeli army or police forces arrived for three hours to assist the diplomats, take statements or gather evidence.
Khourieh condemned the incident as “a flagrant violation of the sanctity of diplomatic and humanitarian work” and linked it to continuing restrictions on Palestinian farmers.
The Israeli army said the visit had not been coordinated with it in advance, while Israeli police announced an investigation.
The assault came during the olive harvest, which began in early October and provides a vital source of income for thousands of Palestinian families.
Palestinian, Israeli and international rights organisations have accused Israeli authorities of failing to stop settler attacks or hold perpetrators accountable.
In Gaza, an Israeli drone strike on a gathering of civilians in the Tuffah neighbourhood, northeast of Gaza City, killed one Palestinian and injured several others on Saturday, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported, citing medical sources.
Israeli military vehicles also opened heavy fire south of Khan Younis, while artillery shelling was reported in eastern Gaza City.
Four Palestinians were killed and several others injured in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to medical sources.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israeli violations of the ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, 2025, had killed 1,493 Palestinians and injured 5,299 others.
Ansar Allah releases detainees
In Yemen, Ansar Allah [Houthi] released 159 detainees in a unilateral move supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the organisation said on Saturday.
The ICRC said its delegates interviewed the detainees before their release, informed their families and helped arrange their journeys home. Medical teams assessed their health and fitness for road travel, providing additional assistance where necessary.
The release was initiated by the Ansar Allah-affiliated National Committee for Prisoners Affairs and did not fall under the Stockholm Agreement, reached under United Nations auspices in December 2018 between Ansar Allah and Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The ICRC stressed that it had no role in deciding who would be released or how many people would be freed.
Ansar Allah said on Friday that the detainees were prisoners who had “voluntarily surrendered without fighting during the recent events”. Their release, it said, was carried out under an amnesty issued by Mahdi al-Mashat, head of its Supreme Political Council.
The move came amid renewed fighting between Ansar Allah and forces aligned with Yemen government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
Ansar Allah has controlled Sana’a and large parts of northern and western Yemen since 2014. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the government.
Iran remains open to negotiations with USA, said Foreign Minister at OIC meeting
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained open to negotiations but would require “credible guarantees” before resuming talks with the United States, according to state news agency IRNA.
Addressing the 52nd session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad on Saturday, Araghchi said Iran would not relinquish its sovereign rights under pressure but remained ready for dialogue based on mutual respect.
He said Tehran had negotiated “in good faith” over the previous two years, but claimed diplomatic efforts had repeatedly been followed by military attacks, deepening mistrust and making guarantees against further attacks essential to any renewed negotiations.
Araghchi also referred to a seven-day proposal previously conveyed through Qatar under which the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and normal maritime traffic restored if the necessary conditions were met.
He said maritime traffic had recovered to around 60 per cent of its pre-war level within two weeks of an understanding reached between Iran and the United States in Islamabad on June 17, through Pakistani mediation with Qatar’s support. Implementation subsequently stalled, he added.
On Yemen, Araghchi said the conflict had no military solution and called for an inclusive political process based on negotiations. He said Iran was ready to facilitate dialogue between the parties under a previously agreed peace roadmap.
He also urged OIC member states to coordinate their efforts in support of Palestinian rights.
The two-day OIC meeting opened in Baghdad on Saturday, bringing together representatives of member states to discuss regional crises, Palestine, peace, development and cooperation. Iraq assumed the organisation’s rotating presidency from Türkiye at the meeting, held under the theme “Dialogue and
Solidarity: Two Essential Pillars for Promoting Peace and Sustainable Development”.
[Photo: Illegal Israeli settlers raid the Old City of Hebron under the protection of Israeli forces on October 17, 2026 in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine. Israeli forces blocked entry and exit points during the raid and restricted the movement of Palestinians in the area. Photojournalist: Amer Shallodi/AA]
