On a quiet Sunday morning in the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya, nestled in the rolling valleys of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a scene of violence unfolded that has since reverberated around the world. Afaf Abu Alia, a 55-year-old Palestinian woman and mother of five, was picking olives—a ritual that is as much a part of Palestinian culture as it is a vital source of income—when she was brutally attacked by a masked Jewish settler. The assault, captured on video by US journalist Jasper Nathaniel, has become a flashpoint in the ongoing crisis of settler violence in the region.
The footage, which quickly circulated across social media and news outlets, shows a masked man wielding a large wooden stick, its end knotted like a club. Without warning, he swings the weapon overhead and strikes Abu Alia on the head, knocking her unconscious. "It's the most vivid image that's ever been seared in my mind," Nathaniel told the BBC. "He swings it one time and I saw her body go completely limp. And then he stood over her and hit her twice more." As she lay motionless and bleeding, other masked settlers—at least 15 in total—continued their rampage, throwing stones, torching at least one car, and smashing the windows of others. Palestinian olive harvesters and activists, including Nathaniel himself, were targeted in the chaos.
The attack left Abu Alia hospitalized with serious head injuries. She was initially admitted to an intensive care unit but has since stabilized, according to her doctors. Her cousin, Hamdi Abu Alia, confirmed to the BBC that medical staff found she had been struck twice in the head. The violence did not end there: the group of settlers chased a car down a village road, clubbing the vehicle and pursuing its passenger as he escaped on foot, scenes documented in additional videos obtained by the Associated Press and other news agencies.
Turmus Ayya, home to a predominantly Palestinian-American population, has long been a flashpoint for settler violence. According to Israeli media, at least 80% of the village's residents hold US citizenship or residency. The town is surrounded by Israeli settlements and unauthorized outposts, leaving it highly exposed to such incursions. Villagers say the violence has escalated in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, with tensions further inflamed by the killing of 14-year-old Palestinian-American Amer Rabee by Israeli forces in April 2025. That incident sparked waves of protest and frequent clashes between settlers and residents, as well as criticism of the Israeli military's perceived failure to intervene.
Indeed, the role of Israeli security forces during the attack on Abu Alia has become a matter of heated dispute. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that they dispersed the confrontation after arriving and "strongly condemns any form of violence" by settlers. However, Nathaniel, who witnessed the attack firsthand, categorically rejected this account. "No Israeli forces showed up to the attack at any point," he insisted, adding that soldiers had been present before the assault but "lured" him and others into an "ambush" before speeding off just as the settlers launched their attack. The BBC has pressed the IDF for clarification on these allegations, but as of publication, the military and police have not responded to media requests for comment.
The United Nations and numerous human rights organizations have raised urgent alarms over the rising tide of settler violence in the West Bank, especially during the olive harvest season. Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territory, stated in a release on Tuesday, "Settler violence has skyrocketed in scale and frequency. Two weeks into the start of the 2025 harvest, we have already seen severe attacks by armed settlers against Palestinian men, women, children and foreign solidarity activists." The UN's own data paints a grim picture: the first half of 2025 saw 757 settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage—a 13% increase compared to the same period last year. More than 150 attacks were recorded during the opening week of the olive harvest alone, with over 700 olive trees uprooted, damaged, or poisoned, according to Muayyad Shaaban, who heads a Palestinian Authority office monitoring the violence.
The violence is not limited to Turmus Ayya. The UN's humanitarian office, OCHA, documented 71 settler attacks across the West Bank between October 7 and 13, half of which were directly related to the harvest and affected Palestinians in 27 villages. Over 3,200 Palestinians have been injured in settler attacks in 2025 alone, according to OCHA. The vast majority of these incidents go unpunished; only 3% of official investigations into settler violence between 2005 and 2023 ended in a conviction, as reported by Israeli civil rights group Yesh Din.
For Palestinian farmers, the olive harvest is more than just an economic necessity—it is a deeply rooted tradition. The ancient trees, some centuries old, are a symbol of family heritage and resilience. Yet, as the AP and India Today reported, these trees have become frequent targets during the annual harvest, with attacks intended to intimidate Palestinians and drive them from their land. Farmers face not only the threat of physical violence but also the destruction of their livelihoods as olive groves are vandalized or destroyed.
The international response has been one of concern and condemnation. The US State Department, when contacted by the BBC, declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, citing "privacy and other considerations," but emphasized that it has "no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens" and takes seriously its commitment to assist them abroad. Yet, according to Nathaniel, a US citizen himself, embassy officials told him they were not in a position to offer protection to him or other US citizens in the area.
Israeli authorities, for their part, have made some statements indicating concern. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the head of the West Bank police force wrote in an internal WhatsApp group that the video of the masked settler attacking Abu Alia "kept him up at night," and that he had instructed officers to locate and bring the attacker to justice. However, as of now, there has been no public announcement of arrests or charges in connection with the attack.
The broader context is one of deepening tension and uncertainty. Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war, and Palestinians seek to establish an independent state in these territories. The presence of settler advocates in key Israeli Cabinet positions has further complicated efforts to address the violence; these officials wield significant influence over policy in the West Bank.
As the olive harvest continues under the shadow of violence, the story of Afaf Abu Alia stands as a stark reminder of the human cost of a conflict that shows no sign of abating. The images of her attack, and the accounts of those who witnessed it, have become a rallying cry for those demanding accountability and protection for Palestinian civilians. For now, villagers in Turmus Ayya and across the West Bank face another harvest season marked by fear, resilience, and the hope that their plight will not go unheard.
