Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in multiple villages across the occupied West Bank on Friday and trees and cars were set on fire, according to local officials and emergency responders with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said six people were injured in two attacks it responded to in the town of Abu Falah outside Ramallah. A 63-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man were taken to a hospital after being beaten by settlers, The Associated Press quoted the Red Crescent as saying. Palestinian medics and an Israeli soldier attend to a Palestinian man shot by Israeli soldiers following a settler attack on Palestinians harvesting olives in the West Bank village of Abu Falah, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) "The settlers want to attack us and force us from our homes," said Moutaz Abdelhadi, 42, a farmer who witnessed the attack in Abu Falah. Partway through the attack, at least two Israeli military jeeps sped through the area, kicking up dust as villagers ran out of their way. A burnt olive tree after Israeli militant settlers attacked a group of Palestinians while they were harvesting olives near Turmus Ayya in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 16, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad The attack continued after the military's arrival, with Israeli soldiers firing tear gas in the direction of the Palestinians who had dodged the jeeps. The sound of live gunfire could be heard in the area, and a Reuters photographer saw at least one armed settler fire a gun. Among the injured was Heidi Levine, a photojournalist with the Washington Post. The newspaper did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel has imposed new rules on the olive harvest this year, prohibiting Palestinians from working in what’s known as Area C, which is under Israeli security control and encompasses the majority of the territory’s agricultural land. At least four Palestinians have been killed and more than 100 injured since the harvest season began earlier this month, according to Palestinian officials. They say thousands of trees have been damaged, costing farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Palestinians stand near a burnt-out car after Israeli militant settlers attacked a group of Palestinians while they were harvesting olives near Turmus Ayya in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 16, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Israel’s police and army did not immediately respond to questions about the attacks. The Abu Falah attack followed a similar attack on Friday morning in the area of Turmus Ayya village, where settlers burned three cars after attacking a group of farmers harvesting olives. Salah Abu Niswa, who witnessed the attack in Turmus Ayya, said the settlers "snuck up like thieves, they caught someone by himself and began to beat him."
