Report: Six Injured in Settler Attack on Olive Harvesters Near Qusra, Rights Group Says

Status: This account is attributed to Rabbis for Human Rights and to comments from Israel Police, as reported by the Jerusalem Post, the Times of Israel, and Haaretz. AFNS has not independently verified the incident.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Rabbis for Human Rights said about 20 settlers attacked olive harvesters and volunteers near Qusra (spelled Kusra in the Post) in the West Bank on Tuesday, injuring six people. According to the organization, four of its activists, a journalist, and a Palestinian resident of the area were hurt. The group said one person was taken to a hospital with a head injury and the others had minor injuries.

The activists said they contacted police after noticing settlers gathering on a nearby hill about 90 minutes into the harvest, the Post reported. They said the settlers, armed with clubs, came down the hill and began the attack once IDF soldiers had arrived. The Post reported that the IDF fired tear gas at the attackers, but that activists said the settlers then tried to attack from another direction and the volunteers were forced to leave. Footage released by the organization, the Post said, shows settlers hurling rocks.

Israel Police, the Post reported, said they "received a report of a confrontation" and opened an investigation. Police said two people with light injuries were taken to a hospital, without saying whether those two were settlers or activists.

The Times of Israel and Haaretz also reported the group's account, including that six people were wounded. The Times of Israel reported that the IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.