Palestinian woman in hospital after being hit by masked Israeli settler

A 55-year-old Palestinian woman was taken to hospital after being hit on the head with a baton by a masked Jewish settler while picking olives.

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

Mr Nathaniel said the settler knocked the woman unconscious with the first blow of his stick before hitting her again as she lay on the ground. She was named locally as Umm Saleh Abu Alia.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that the confrontation was broken up after its forces arrived and that it “strongly condemns any form of violence” by settlers.

However, Mr Nathaniel said Israeli soldiers were at the site before the attack and had “lured” him and others into an “ambush”. He said the soldiers “ran away” just before the settlers launched the attack. The BBC made this particular accusation to the IDF.

At least 80 percent of Turmus Ayya residents hold American citizenship or residency, according to Israeli media. The BBC has contacted the State Department and the US Embassy for comment.

The young assailant can be seen in the footage wielding a large wooden stick with a knot at one end, resembling a club, before swinging it over his head and striking Ms Abu Alia.

“It’s the most vivid image I’ve ever had in my mind,” Mr Nathaniel told the BBC.

“He swung it once and I saw her body go completely limp. And then he stood over her and hit her two more times.”

The mother-of-five was then seen bleeding as she was carried into a vehicle to be taken to hospital. She was initially admitted to the intensive care unit, but is now in a stable condition, doctors said.

Her cousin, Hamdi Abu Aliya, told the BBC that medical staff found she had been hit twice in the head. Amin Abu Aliya, the mayor of the neighboring village of al-Mughayir, confirmed details of the attack to the BBC.

The attack was part of a larger incident in which at least 15 masked settlers were seen throwing stones and attacking other Palestinians picking olives – as well as activists who had arrived to support them, including Mr Nathaniel.

At least one car was set on fire. Others had their windows broken.

The attack comes amid a spate of attacks in recent weeks linked to the olive harvest, which officially began on October 9.

The harvest is an age-old ritual that forms a major part of Palestinian culture. It is also an economic necessity for many, but it is increasingly uncertain.

Farmers throughout the West Bank – internationally considered Palestinian land occupied by Israel – face increased risks during the harvest season, including organized attacks and the use of force by Israeli security forces to block roads and Palestinian access to their lands.

Of the 71 attacks on settlers documented by the UN humanitarian agency, Ocha, in the West Bank between October 7 and 13, half are related to the current harvest season. The attacks affected Palestinians in 27 villages.

In 2025, more than 3,200 Palestinians were injured in settler attacks in the West Bank, according to Ocha.

Observers say the attacks are intended to intimidate Palestinians and eventually drive them off their land so settlers can take it. The vast majority go unpunished, with only 3 percent of official investigations into settler violence between 2005 and 2023 ending in a conviction, according to the Israeli civil rights organization Yesh Din. Many incidents are not investigated.

Shortly after taking office, US President Donald Trump lifted a set of sanctions imposed on Israeli settlers by his predecessor, Joe Biden.