Mayor assaulted as attack began

Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, was wearing his red, white and blue sash of office and attempting to enter a vehicle with diplomatic plates when he was assaulted and knocked to the ground, according to witness accounts. He was in Taybeh for the launch of a twinning agreement with his town in northern France.

A witness said a masked militant shouted "Vive la France" as he launched the attack.

• Baudoux's wife was also threatened by the group
• Vincent Dollmann, archbishop of Cambrai, was threatened as well
• The group comprised seven men, some armed with clubs

Who was in the delegation and what was damaged

The French visitors had joined the olive harvest on lands of the Christian town of Taybeh alongside the French consul general in Jerusalem, his wife, other diplomats, and the Belgian and Polish consuls.

The militants smashed the window of an armoured car belonging to the Belgian mission during the assault, and damaged a car in the attack that injured three people.

Palestinians hurt before the diplomats were targeted

Settlers first attacked a group working on the lower slopes of hills near Taybeh, stealing olives in the process. Before the diplomats were reached, they kicked, abused and assaulted a Palestinian woman in her 70s and beat a man so badly he needed six stitches for a head injury.

Father Bashar Fawadleh, the town's parish priest, said settlers had never before targeted foreign diplomats in Taybeh.

Status of the investigation

Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, condemned the attacks and said police had opened an investigation.