The assault occurred as the delegation participated in an olive harvest alongside Palestinian farmers. Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, was beaten with iron bars and thrown to the ground, according to his account. A Belgian diplomatic vehicle had its window smashed, and witnesses reported masked attackers shouting “Vive la France” during the assault. Baudoux, wearing his French sash of office, said he was attacked without provocation. “It’s the gratuitous nature of the violence that stuns me,” he said. “They arrived completely enraged.”

The group included representatives from Belgium, France, Poland and the Catholic Church. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot condemned the violence on social media, calling for Israel to bring those responsible to justice. “Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack,” he wrote. Polish authorities confirmed their representatives were unharmed but said there was no indication they were specifically targeted.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the “severe act of violence” and said the foreign ministry was in contact with the involved countries. He noted that the diplomatic visit had not been coordinated with the IDF in advance, which “could have helped safeguard the visitors’ security.” The IDF confirmed no soldiers were at the scene during the attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, however, urged caution before “drawing conclusions,” suggesting the reports were part of a “coordinated campaign to smear Israel.” It emphasized that the footage circulating online did not establish “the complete sequence of events or individual responsibility.” The statement also noted that Baudoux had previously raised the Palestinian flag over a French municipal building, prompting French authorities to order its removal.

The attack follows a surge in settler violence during the olive harvest season, with Israeli rights group Yesh Din reporting more than 170 attacks since late September. Father Bashar Fawadleh, Taybeh’s parish priest, said the attack on diplomats marked a “deeply disturbing escalation in settler violence.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the incident “disturbing” and “not a good look,” while U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called it a “despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards.” Both demanded that Israel prosecute the assailants.

Israeli police have launched an investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible. “The Israel Police condemns violence of any kind and will pursue these investigations to their full extent,” the statement said.