Influencer and Journalist Detained After West Bank Settler Attack
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
Israeli police arrested network influencer Andrey Khardzhanovsky and journalist Jasper Nathaniel after they were attacked by settlers in the West Bank while documenting a blocked gate. The settlers allegedly used a rifle, assaulted Khardzhanovsky, and confiscated his phone. The gate's closure has severely impacted Palestinian communities. A judge later noted that other parties appeared to have initiated the violence, and the suspicion against the detained pair was weak. Both were released on bail with restrictions.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Influencer Andrey Khardzhanovsky and journalist Jasper Nathaniel were arrested by Israeli police after a settler attack.
- Settlers allegedly assaulted Khardzhanovsky with a rifle and his phone during the incident.
- The pair were documenting a security gate that had been blocking Palestinian passage for days.
- A judge reviewed video evidence and suggested other parties initiated the violence.
- Khardzhanovsky and Nathaniel were released on bail with restrictions, including a ban from the West Bank.
Israeli police arrested network influencer Andrey Khardzhanovsky, known as "Andrey X," and freelance American journalist Jasper Nathaniel overnight between Wednesday and Thursday. The arrests followed an attack and detention at gunpoint by settlers in the southern West Bank, as the pair documented a yellow security gate that had been blocking Palestinian passage since the previous Friday. Video from the scene shows a young settler in civilian clothes and a military jacket locking the gate, after which Khardzhanovsky and Nathaniel approached him. One of them is heard asking, "Why are you locking the gate for several Palestinian communities? Who are you?" The footage shows a settler armed with a military rifle grabbing Khardzhanovsky and his mobile phone, then hitting him on the head with the device. When Khardzhanovsky demanded his phone back, the settler dragged him, stepped on his hip, and pulled his hair. One settler claimed Khardzhanovsky attacked him. The documentation also shows the security coordinator of the Carmel settlement and the armed owner of a nearby outpost present. An ambulance from the Red Crescent, an MDA ambulance, soldiers, and police officers arrived later. Khardzhanovsky was seen lying on the road in a state of semi-consciousness, being treated by Palestinian paramedics for his head injury before being arrested along with Nathaniel. The gate, closed to Palestinians following a terror attack near Hebron last Friday that killed two IDF soldiers, serves as a main access route for communities in the Masafer Yatta area, near Umm al-Khair and the Carmel settlement. Palestinian residents report the blockade has severely impacted daily life, preventing teachers, doctors, and supplies from reaching their villages. According to a local resident, Khardzhanovsky and Nathaniel were attacked while standing with a Palestinian who was stuck at the checkpoint after soldiers confiscated his car keys. Settlers from nearby farms arrived and used a key they possessed to open and then lock the gate. When the activists questioned how they obtained the key, the confrontation began. "Until yesterday, they didn't let anyone pass. We started passing food under the gate. Yesterday, they opened it for two hours, and then it turned out that the owner of a nearby farm has a key to the gate. After two hours, he locked it again. If an Israeli vehicle wants to pass, they open it, but not for Palestinian vehicles," the resident said. The gate's closure and reports of it being opened only for settlers were sent to the IDF on Monday, but no response was received by the time of publication. The resident also recounted an 80-year-old woman having to walk to the gate for medical attention because an ambulance could not reach her home. Thousands of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta have been under a complete lockdown for over a week. "They take the keys and leave you stuck for seven or eight hours," the resident stated. "Hebron is left with one open gate. Yatta also has one open gate. Why is our gate always closed? We are trapped here." On Thursday, settlers wearing motorcycle helmets were seen inspecting Palestinian vehicles near the gate, shouting at residents to leave and stating they were not permitted to pass. Khardzhanovsky and Nathaniel were released on bail with restrictive conditions, including a ban from entering the West Bank until January 1, 2027, a prohibition on contacting those involved in the incident, and a requirement to report for investigation. Another individual involved was questioned under caution and released. The police stated they are examining claims of mutual assault. In his decision, Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge David Shaul Gabbay-Richer wrote that after reviewing video evidence submitted by both sides, it appeared that the other involved parties initiated the violence. The judge determined there was no symmetry between the alleged violence by Khardzhanovsky and Nathaniel and that attributed to others, adding that the reasonable suspicion of violent offenses by the two was weak.
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