Israeli police arrest 10 after attacks on journalist and diplomats in West Bank

Israeli police said on Monday that they had arrested 10 people in the occupied West Bank after a weekend of settler violence during the Palestinian olive harvest. The operation followed attacks on an American photojournalist and a delegation that included European diplomats, but police have not said which suspects, if any, are linked to each incident. [3] [4]

The suspects were taken for questioning. Police said the operation covered suspected violence, breaches of an order closing a military area and illegal construction; officers also seized vehicles and other items. An arrest does not establish responsibility for either attack. [3] [4]

On Friday, Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was beaten while covering an olive harvest near the Palestinian village of Abu Falah. She suffered broken vertebrae and needed surgery on an injured finger. Reuters reported that the assault was filmed, while a BBC team witnessed a settler attack at the harvest. [1] [3] [7]

The following day, masked settlers confronted a group visiting the nearby village of Taybeh. France’s foreign ministry said the mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, Bernard Baudoux, had been assaulted and that French, Belgian and Polish diplomatic representatives had been targeted. Catholic representatives were also among the group, according to the Associated Press. Israel’s military confirmed an attack on the diplomats, AP reported, while saying the visit had not been coordinated with it. [2] [5]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office urged caution about the Taybeh incident, saying images alone could not establish the full sequence of events or individual responsibility. It also alleged a campaign to smear Israel and West Bank settlers. Its warning about identifying attackers does not negate the military’s confirmation that an attack took place.