Israel Arrests 10 Over Settler Attacks on Journalist, Diplomats

Israeli police have arrested 10 suspects in the occupied West Bank in connection with attacks by settlers on an American journalist and European diplomats last week. The arrests were made at several locations, with authorities seizing potential evidence and vehicles.

The detained individuals are suspected of acts of violence, violating a closed military zone order, and illegal construction, according to a police statement. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, welcomed the arrests, calling it a "very positive development in finding & punishing those who severely attacked and beat Heidi Levine."

On Friday, masked Israeli settlers attacked Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine as she documented an olive harvest in the Palestinian village of Abu Falah. Levine, a veteran journalist wearing a flak jacket marked "PRESS," reported being knocked to the ground, repeatedly kicked, and having her cameras and phone taken. She sustained four broken vertebrae, a broken rib, and lacerations, requiring surgery on a finger.

In a BBC interview from her hospital bed, Levine stated she was "really, really lucky" and that the flak jacket likely prevented more serious head injuries. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented that President Donald Trump "does not want to see friction or a crisis in the West Bank."

The following day, diplomats from Belgium, France, Poland, and representatives of the Catholic Church were reportedly attacked by masked settlers in the nearby village of Taybeh while observing an olive harvest. A car belonging to Belgium's consulate was damaged, and a French mayor was assaulted, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot. Video from the scene appeared to show masked settlers confronting the convoy. Prevot condemned the attack, asserting Israel's responsibility as the occupying power to ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists and to bring perpetrators to justice. The European Union also demanded "full accountability."

These incidents occurred during the annual olive harvest, a period that has seen a significant increase in settler violence. The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din reported logging 269 incidents of violence related to the olive harvest in the 20 days prior, including assaults, crop thefts, and damage to olive trees. UN records indicate that settler violence in the West Bank is at an all-time high.

However, an official statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office questioned the video evidence and testimony from the incidents, describing them as "alleged" attacks amidst a "co-ordinated campaign to smear Israel" and West Bank settlers. Levine expressed shock at this response, calling it "a big slap on my face" and suggesting Netanyahu should have sent a clearer message against settler attacks.

Israel has established approximately 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, housing some 700,000 Jews. These settlements are considered illegal under international law. Since the start of the year, at least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank, with 25 of those deaths linked to settler attacks, according to UN figures.

Prosecutions of Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians remain rare. According to Yesh Din, over 93% of Israeli police investigations into ideologically motivated offenses by Israelis against Palestinians in the West Bank between 2005 and 2025 ended without an indictment.