Israeli settlers beat an American photojournalist on Friday while she covered violence against Palestinian olive farmers in the occupied West Bank. The attack sent her to hospital and drew sharp condemnation from international press groups.
Heidi Levine, a veteran photographer working for The Washington Post, was attacked near the villages of Abu Falah and Turmus Ayya in the central West Bank. From her hospital bed in Ramallah, she told reporters that more than 50 masked settlers carrying sticks suddenly set upon her as she worked.
“All of a sudden they jumped me and I luckily had my helmet and flak jacket on,” she said, describing how she turned her face to the ground to protect it. “They just kept kicking me and kicking me.”
The Washington Post reported that Levine wore a flak jacket with “Press” marked clearly on the front and back. AFP photographs showed her on a gurney with injuries to her leg and hand.
AFP said its journalists did not witness the attack itself. One of its reporters in the area saw Palestinian medics treating a person on the ground while Israeli soldiers pushed away journalists who tried to approach.
The US embassy in Jerusalem said it was aware of reports of the attack. A spokesman said protecting American citizens was its highest responsibility, but declined further comment.
Israel’s military said troops and border police were sent to the area after reports of a “violent confrontation”. It said a female journalist had been hurt during the confrontation and the circumstances would be examined. The military added that attacks on innocent civilians were grave and unacceptable. Israeli police said they had opened an investigation into incidents in both villages.
A Palestinian farmer from Abu Falah, Mukhllis Zuhdi, said the settlers came down on the olive pickers without warning. “We were on our land, picking olives, and suddenly the settlers came down on us and started hitting us, throwing stones,” he said. “There was even a foreign journalist whom they beat. These people have no mercy or compassion in their hearts.”
Press groups condemn beating as Israeli settlers beat US photographer
The Foreign Press Association, which represents foreign media in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said the settlers stole Levine’s passport, phone, wallet and equipment. It called the beating the latest in a long line of settler attacks on journalists and civilians in the occupied West Bank.
“Yet our repeated calls for action to confront this lawlessness have been ignored by Israeli authorities,” the association said.
Reporters Without Borders, known by its French initials RSF, said it strongly condemned the attack. It called on Israeli authorities to end impunity and prosecute the perpetrators of what it termed a heinous assault.
A pattern of attacks during the olive harvest
The beating came only ten days after settlers assaulted AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh as he covered the olive harvest in the West Bank. He also required hospital treatment.
Violence has flared across the West Bank in recent months. Settler attacks, thefts and acts of vandalism against Palestinians have become near-daily events. Settlers have also seized olive groves that Palestinians regard as a cultural symbol, striking at the heart of the harvest season.
Around three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements that international law regards as illegal. Israel has occupied the territory since 1967.
The episode adds to a grim record for journalists covering the region. European diplomats urged the EU to act against illegal West Bank settlements earlier this month, while nearly 50,000 women and girls have been killed or maimed in Gaza since October 2023, according to UN Women. In Pakistan, JI staged a massive Gaza march in Karachi to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, and an Israeli strike targeting a Hamas leader in Gaza appears to have failed this week.
What happens next
Israeli police say their investigation into the Abu Falah and Turmus Ayya incidents remains open. The military says it will examine the circumstances of the confrontation. Press groups are watching closely, and the Foreign Press Association has warned that unanswered attacks on journalists will continue unless the perpetrators face prosecution.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Heidi Levine?
Heidi Levine is a veteran American photojournalist working for The Washington Post. She was covering settler violence against Palestinian olive farmers when masked settlers beat her near Abu Falah in the West Bank.
Where did the attack take place?
The attack happened near the Palestinian villages of Abu Falah and Turmus Ayya in the central occupied West Bank on Friday, October 16, 2026.
What has the US said about the attack?
The US embassy in Jerusalem said it was aware of reports of the attack. A spokesman said protecting American citizens was its highest responsibility, but gave no further comment.
Have journalists been attacked in the West Bank before?
Yes. Ten days earlier, settlers beat AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh as he covered the olive harvest, and he also required hospital treatment. The Foreign Press Association says such attacks form a long pattern.
*Source: Dawn’s report on the attack*
