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 said the settler knocked the woman unconscious with the first strike of his stick before hitting her again as she lay on the ground. She has been named locally as Umm Saleh Abu Alia. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that the confrontation was dispersed after its forces arrived, and that it 'strongly condemns any form of violence' by settlers.
However, Mr. Nathaniel said Israeli soldiers were on-site prior to the attack and had 'lured' him and others into an 'ambush'. He stated soldiers 'sped off' just before the settlers launched their assault. The BBC has reached out to the IDF for comment.
At least 80% of residents of Turmus Ayya hold US citizenship or residency, according to Israeli media. The young male attacker was seen wielding a large wooden stick with a knot at one end, reminiscent of a club, before he swung it overhead and struck Mrs. Abu Alia.
The mother of five was subsequently transported to a hospital after being bloodied in the attack. Initially placed in intensive care, she is now reported as stable by doctors. Her cousin, Hamdi Abu Alia, revealed that medical staff found she had suffered multiple strikes to the head.
The attack fits within a wider context where reports describe at least 15 masked settlers, seizing the chaotic moment to hurl stones at Palestinians and activists who were assisting them during the olive harvest. The assault coincided with a significant uptick in violence against Palestinians linked to the olive harvest season, which commenced on October 9.
The olive harvest is an integral part of Palestinian culture and economy, yet it increasingly occurs in an environment fraught with peril. Farmers across the West Bank face organized assaults and restrictions on accessing their lands, with documented rates of settler violence not drawing substantial investigations or consequences. In 2025 alone, the UN reported over 3,200 Palestinians injured from settler attacks, with a significant percentage tied to olive harvesting activities.
Mr. Nathaniel said the settler knocked the woman unconscious with the first strike of his stick before hitting her again as she lay on the ground. She has been named locally as Umm Saleh Abu Alia. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that the confrontation was dispersed after its forces arrived, and that it 'strongly condemns any form of violence' by settlers.
However, Mr. Nathaniel said Israeli soldiers were on-site prior to the attack and had 'lured' him and others into an 'ambush'. He stated soldiers 'sped off' just before the settlers launched their assault. The BBC has reached out to the IDF for comment.
At least 80% of residents of Turmus Ayya hold US citizenship or residency, according to Israeli media. The young male attacker was seen wielding a large wooden stick with a knot at one end, reminiscent of a club, before he swung it overhead and struck Mrs. Abu Alia.
The mother of five was subsequently transported to a hospital after being bloodied in the attack. Initially placed in intensive care, she is now reported as stable by doctors. Her cousin, Hamdi Abu Alia, revealed that medical staff found she had suffered multiple strikes to the head.
The attack fits within a wider context where reports describe at least 15 masked settlers, seizing the chaotic moment to hurl stones at Palestinians and activists who were assisting them during the olive harvest. The assault coincided with a significant uptick in violence against Palestinians linked to the olive harvest season, which commenced on October 9.
The olive harvest is an integral part of Palestinian culture and economy, yet it increasingly occurs in an environment fraught with peril. Farmers across the West Bank face organized assaults and restrictions on accessing their lands, with documented rates of settler violence not drawing substantial investigations or consequences. In 2025 alone, the UN reported over 3,200 Palestinians injured from settler attacks, with a significant percentage tied to olive harvesting activities.
