Israeli police said they have arrested 10 suspects in connection with a series of settler attacks in the occupied West Bank over the past weekend, including assaults on an American photojournalist and European diplomats.
According to Israeli police, the suspects were detained on Monday morning (October 20) on allegations of violence, violating a military closure order and illegal construction. Police did not release the suspects' identities, but Israel Army Radio said all are Israeli citizens.
The arrests come as settler attacks mount, disrupting the annual Palestinian olive harvest in the occupied West Bank.
Growing settler violence against Palestinians has drawn international reaction, with the United Kingdom describing it as "ethnic cleansing" and imposing sanctions on products from illegal Israeli settlements.
US welcomes arrests
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote on X on Monday that the arrests were "a very positive development in finding and punishing those who attacked and severely beat" Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine.
On Friday (October 17), Levine was beaten by a group of male settlers in the West Bank village of Abu Falah, leaving her with multiple broken ribs and a fractured vertebra. She also underwent surgery on a finger that was nearly severed and is recovering from what appeared to be stab wounds to her lower body that required stitches.
A day later, masked settlers attacked European diplomats visiting the Christian village of Taybeh. France, Belgium and Poland — whose representatives were among those attacked — also called on Israel to act.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and the military blamed "Israeli rioters" for the attack on the diplomats. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — whose religious coalition is forecast to lose its ruling majority in the October 27 election — struck a more ambiguous tone.
He said the diplomats had entered a "sensitive area with a history of confrontation" without coordinating with the military. He also said the circumstances of the attack on Levine in Abu Falah were "unclear." On hearing of the remark, Levine said she was "shocked and offended."
Settler violence in the occupied West Bank has risen sharply in recent years. Rights groups say those behind daily attacks on Palestinians are rarely arrested or punished.
