Israeli Police Arrest 10 Suspects in Attacks on Diplomats and Journalist

Israeli police arrested ten suspects on Monday in connection with violent incidents over the weekend, including the assault of a European diplomatic delegation and photojournalist Heidi Levine. Security forces, including border police, Shin Bet, and the IDF, confiscated vehicles and found evidence linking the suspects to the violence. During the operation, illegal outposts were cleared and intruders removed from a Palestinian home.

Two suspects in the attack on diplomats had their detention extended by four days, while four suspects in the attack on Levine near the village of Abu Falah were detained for three days. Police sought to extend the detention of four additional suspects involved in another attack in the same village. A police representative stated that an organized group was responsible, possibly related to the olive harvest season, causing damage to Israel's image and regional security.

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced he would not reinstate administrative detention orders for settlers, which he had previously canceled, emphasizing strong and effective police enforcement as the solution. He stressed that responsibility for settler violence in the West Bank rests solely with the Israeli Police's Judea and Samaria district. The IDF has developed a plan to regulate civilian enforcement in the West Bank, clarifying the division of authority between the military and the police.

Settler violence continued, with reports of settlers stealing sheep and money from the Christian village of Taybeh, near where the diplomats were attacked. In another incident, settlers sprayed graffiti and attempted to set fire to vehicles in the village of Khirbet Safa, north of Hebron. Harassment of Palestinians and activists during the olive harvest also persisted, with soldiers demanding individuals and journalists leave an area near Deir Abu Mashal before presenting a military order. A settler subject to British sanctions for violence against Palestinians was present at this location.

The attack on the diplomatic delegation, comprising officials from Poland, Belgium, and France, occurred while they were visiting land near Taybeh. A diplomat reported that settlers struck a Belgian delegation vehicle with an object, possibly an iron bar, while people were inside. Initial army investigations indicated that distress calls were received by the Binyamin Brigade command center by 1:00 PM, but forces did not arrive until around 3:00 PM, after the incident concluded. The army is establishing a special investigation team to examine the conduct.

In a separate incident on Friday, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was injured in an attack by settlers in Abu Falah. Levine described being kicked and having her cameras, bag, and passport stolen. The incidents and the rise in settler violence have drawn widespread international condemnation. The European Union condemned the attack on the delegation and the violence, calling for accountability. The foreign ministries of France, Belgium, and Poland also condemned the incident and noted the increasing violence against Palestinians. The Prime Minister's Office responded on X, calling the accusations serious and requiring serious evidence, suggesting a coordinated campaign to defame Israel. They also raised questions about the circumstances of the diplomatic visit, noting it was in a sensitive area without prior coordination and that one participant had previously displayed a Palestinian flag. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the attack, reiterating the army's claim that the diplomatic visit was not coordinated.