The Conservative Party leader also pledged to cut the cost of hiring 21 to 24 year olds.

<article data-history-node-id="448917" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-settlers-beat-afp-photographer-covering-west-bank" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-settlers-beat-afp-photographer-covering-west-bank" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Israeli settlers beat AFP photographer covering West Bank</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>Armed Israeli settlers on Tuesday beat an AFP photographer, leaving him requiring hospital treatment, as he covered ongoing violence by settlers against the olive farmers in the occupied West Bank.</p> <p>Jaafar Ashtiyeh, 58, a veteran photographer for the international news agency in the Palestinian territory, suffered bruises to his head and torso and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, according to witnesses, his family and fellow journalists.</p> <p>Ashtiyeh and another AFP photographer, John Wessels, were near the northern village of Aqraba where they noticed an Israeli soldier detaining a man as local Palestinians picked olives.</p> <p>A quadbike suddenly raced towards the AFP journalists on top of a hill, and a man from it opened live fire, with one Palestinian dropping to the ground. He was also hospitalised, with a gunshot to the foot, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.</p> <p>At least six other people then rushed towards the AFP journalists, firing guns. As Ashtiyeh attempted to enter a car, which was clearly marked "Press", two men jumped on him and beat him repeatedly with the butts of their rifles.</p> <p>Ashtiyeh, who is Palestinian, will remain in hospital for round-the-clock observation.</p> <p><em>Reporting by AFP</em></p> <figure role="group" class="media-block"> <div class="group-inner"> <div alt="grapher Jaafar Ashtiyeh is carried by Palestinian first responders to seek medical assistance after being beaten by several Israelis in Aqraba in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on October 6, 2026." data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9d189d15-3841-4e09-b86a-e70db747124d" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/grapher%20Jaafar%20Ashtiyeh%20is%20carried%20by%20Palestinian%20first%20responders%20to%20seek%20medical%20assistance%20after%20being%20beaten%20by%20several%20Israelis%20in%20Aqraba%20in%20the%20Israeli-occupied%20West%20Bank%20on%20October%206%2C%202026.%20afp.jpg" width="1024" height="682" alt="grapher Jaafar Ashtiyeh is carried by Palestinian first responders to seek medical assistance after being beaten by several Israelis in Aqraba in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on October 6, 2026." typeof="foaf:Image" fetchpriority="high"> </div> <figcaption>Agence France-Presse's (AFP) photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh is carried by Palestinian first responders to seek medical assistance after being beaten by several Israelis in Aqraba in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on 6 October 2026 (AFP)</figcaption> </div> </figure> <p><span style="background: url(&quot;https://www.middleeasteye.net/modules/contrib/ckeditor/vendor/plugins/widget/images/handle.png&quot;) rgba(220, 220, 220, 0.5); top: -15px; left: 0px;"><img height="15" role="presentation" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" loading="lazy"></span></p> <p><span style="background: url(&quot;https://www.middleeasteye.net/modules/contrib/ckeditor/vendor/plugins/widget/images/handle.png&quot;) rgba(220, 220, 220, 0.5); top: -15px; left: 0px;"><img alt height="15" role="presentation" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" loading="lazy"></span></p> </div> </div> </article>

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