A Palestinian woman is admitted to the hospital by a masked Israeli settler

A 55-year-old Palestinian woman has been taken to hospital after being stabbed in the head by a masked Jewish settler while picking olives.

The unprovoked attack on Sunday morning in the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya 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. Her local name has been given as Umm Saleh Abu Alia.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that the clashes broke up after its troops 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 “incited” him and others into “suicide”. He said the soldiers “rushed” the settlers before they launched an attack. The BBC has made this specific allegation against the IDF.

According to Israeli media, at least 80% of Turmus Ayya residents hold US citizenship or residency. The BBC has contacted the US State Department and the US Embassy for comment.

The young male attacker is seen swinging a large wooden stick with a knot at one end, resembling a club, before he swung it over his head and struck Mrs Abu Alia.

The mother of five is seen bleeding as she is carried to a vehicle to take her to hospital. She was initially admitted to the intensive care unit but doctors say her condition is now stable.

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

The attack came amid a wider incident in which at least 15 masked settlers were seen throwing stones and attacking other Palestinians harvesting olives – as well as activists who had come to support them, including Mr Nathaniel.

At least one car was set on fire. The windows of some were broken.

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

Harvesting is an ancient ritual that is a major part of Palestinian culture. It is also a financial necessity for many, but increasingly uncertain.

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

Half of the 71 settlement attacks documented across the West Bank by the UN’s humanitarian office, OCHA, between October 7 and 13 were related to the current harvest season. The attacks affected Palestinians in 27 villages.

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

The attacks are aimed at intimidating the Palestinians and ultimately driving them from their land, so that settlers can take it over. According to the Israeli civil rights group Yesh Din, with only 3% of official investigations into settler violence between 2005 and 2023, the vast majority went unpunished. Many incidents do not require investigation.

Shortly after entering office, US President Donald Trump rescinded many of the restrictions imposed on Israeli settlers by his predecessor, Joe Biden.