A Grievous Attack: Palestinian Woman Assaulted by Settler During Olive Harvest

Tue Oct 21 2025 00:45:17 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a shocking incident captured on video, a Palestinian woman was violently struck by a masked Israeli settler while she was picking olives in the West Bank, highlighting the ongoing tensions during the olive harvest season.

A 55-year-old Palestinian woman has been hospitalized after being assaulted by a masked Israeli settler while picking olives in Turmus Ayya, West Bank. The unprovoked attack left her unconscious and bleeding. Despite denouncements from the Israeli military, allegations have surfaced claiming forces facilitated the ambush. The seasonal olive harvest is increasingly fraught with violence and intimidation against Palestinians.

A 55-year-old Palestinian woman has been taken to hospital after being clubbed over the head by a masked Jewish settler as she was picking olives.

The unprovoked attack, which took place on Sunday morning in the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya in the occupied West Bank, was captured on video by US journalist Jasper Nathaniel.

Mr. Nathaniel stated that the settler knocked the woman unconscious with the first strike of his stick, and then hit her again as she lay on the ground. She has been named locally as Umm Saleh Abu Alia.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the confrontation was dispersed after their forces arrived, condemning any form of violence by settlers. However, Mr. Nathaniel reported that Israeli soldiers were already present prior to the attack and 'lured' him and others into an 'ambush' before speeding away just before the assault began. This specific allegation has been put to the IDF by the BBC.

At least 80% of residents in Turmus Ayya hold US citizenship or residency, according to Israeli media reports. The BBC has reached out to the US State Department and the US embassy for additional comments.

The assailant was seen brandishing a large wooden stick with a knot at one end, akin to a club, before swinging it and striking Mrs. Abu Alia. She was seen bleeding as she was carried into a vehicle for hospital transport and, after an initial stay in intensive care, is reported to be in stable condition.

According to her cousin, Hamdi Abu Alia, medical staff found that she had been struck twice in the head. Mayor Amin Abu Alia of the nearby village al-Mughayyir confirmed the details of the attack to the BBC.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of violence where as many as 15 masked settlers were seen hurling stones and attacking other Palestinians and activists present to support them. The olive harvest, which traditionally began on October 9, is marked by increased violence against Palestinian farmers, with organized assaults often reported during this season.

Farmers across the West Bank, internationally recognized as Palestinian land occupied by Israel, face enhanced risks during this period, with documented estimates showing that half of the settler attacks recorded by the UN's humanitarian office, Ocha, from October 7 to 13, were related to the olive harvest. Recent records indicate more than 3,200 Palestinians have been injured in settler attacks in the West Bank so far this year.

These attacks serve the purpose of intimidating Palestinians and encouraging displacement to make room for settlers. Notably, only 3% of investigations into settler violence from 2005 to 2023 have resulted in convictions, according to Israeli civil rights group Yesh Din.