Israel Arrests 10 After Settler Attacks on Diplomats and Journalist

Israeli police arrested 10 people on Monday following a weekend of settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The arrests followed a series of attacks, including a Friday assault in Abu Falah where masked settlers severely injured Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, causing broken ribs, vertebrae, and stab wounds. On Saturday, settlers targeted a delegation of European diplomats from Belgium, France, Poland, and the Catholic Church in Taybeh, smashing a consulate car window and assaulting a French mayor while the group assessed attacks on Palestinian olive harvests.

These incidents coincided with military operations on Sunday, during which Israeli forces conducted raids across the West Bank. These operations included the kidnapping of two young Palestinian men from a home in al-Mughayyir and the deployment of tear gas and stun grenades in Aqraba, Nabi Saleh, Deir Abu Mashal, and al-Ram. In Aqraba, children suffered breathing difficulties after troops targeted a vehicle and an olive press.

International reactions were sharp, with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot condemning the violence. While the Israel Defense Forces condemned the acts, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cast doubt on the reports, suggesting the events were part of a "coordinated campaign to smear Israel."