A 55-year-old Palestinian woman, Umm Saleh Abu Alia, is recovering in hospital after being brutally struck on the head by a masked Israeli settler while harvesting olives in the village of Turmus Ayya, in the occupied West Bank.
The assault, captured on video, shows the attacker hitting her with a heavy wooden stick, knocking her unconscious before striking her again as she lay on the ground. Witnesses said the incident occurred in the presence of Israeli soldiers who reportedly left moments before the settlers launched their attack.
The victim, a mother of five, was rushed to intensive care but is now in stable condition. Relatives confirmed she sustained multiple head injuries. The attack was part of a larger assault involving around 15 masked settlers who also threw stones, torched a car, and injured other Palestinians and activists assisting with the olive harvest.
Such attacks have become increasingly common during the harvest season, a vital cultural and economic period for Palestinian families. According to humanitarian monitors, thousands of Palestinians have been injured in settler violence this year, with most cases going unpunished.
Residents say the violence is aimed at forcing Palestinians off their land, deepening tensions in the already volatile West Bank.