Masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank on Friday, burning olive trees, throwing stones and injuring residents and an American photojournalist as violence escalated during the annual harvest season.
About 80 settlers dressed in black descended on a terraced olive grove above the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, where Palestinian residents had gathered to pick olives, according to Reuters witnesses. Some carried gas canisters, while others used slingshots to hurl stones at the farmers.
The villagers retreated down the hillside before some threw stones back at the attackers. Olive harvesting is an important annual tradition for Palestinian families and a vital source of income for many farming communities.
“The settlers want to attack us and force us from our homes,” said Moutaz Abdelhadi, 42, a farmer who witnessed the assault.
At least two Israeli military jeeps later sped through the area as villagers moved out of their path. Soldiers fired tear gas toward Palestinians, while the sound of live gunfire echoed across the area. A Reuters photographer saw at least one armed settler fire a gun.
The Israeli military said soldiers and border police officers deployed to the scene fired warning shots. It also acknowledged that troops fired toward a person they believed posed a threat.
“Attacks and violence against innocent civilians are grave and unacceptable,” the military said, adding that attempts to provoke tensions between communities undermined security.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident was under investigation.
Washington Post photographer injured
Heidi Levine, an American photojournalist working for The Washington Post, was among those injured in Abu Falah. Palestinian medics said at least two people were taken to hospitals in the Ramallah area.
Video of the attack showed Levine lying on a dirt path with her hands covering her face as at least three settlers stood around her.
Speaking from a hospital bed, Levine said the attackers pushed her to the ground and repeatedly kicked her.
“I was attacked, pushed to the ground. Luckily I had my flak jacket and helmet, otherwise I probably wouldn't even be here, because they just kept kicking me and kicking me,” she said.
Levine said her Palestinian colleagues intervened before medics transported her by ambulance to a clinic in Abu Falah and then to a hospital in Ramallah.
The Washington Post later reported that she had suffered lacerations across her body and a broken rib. She also required surgery on one hand after a finger was torn open, exposing bone.
Matt Murray, the newspaper's executive editor, condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation.
“This morning, a Washington Post photographer, Heidi Levine, was attacked by Israeli settlers while reporting in the West Bank,” Murray said.
He said Levine had been wearing visible markings identifying her as a journalist and urged authorities to investigate the assault and ensure accountability.
The U.S. State Department said it was deeply concerned about the harm suffered by an American citizen overseas and had contacted The Washington Post to offer consular assistance.
The department also condemned criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and supported holding those responsible accountable.
Attacks reported across eight villages
The assault in Abu Falah was part of a wider wave of settler violence reported across the occupied West Bank as Palestinians began their annual olive harvest.
Local officials and the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported attacks in at least eight villages in the northern West Bank, where many of the territory's olive groves are concentrated.
The Red Crescent said its medics had treated 14 injured people, while local officials reported at least four injuries.
Palestinian officials said at least four Palestinians had been killed and more than 100 injured since the harvest season began earlier in October. They also reported damage to thousands of olive trees.
In Turmus Ayya, another village near Ramallah, settlers attacked farmers harvesting olives and burned three cars, according to local accounts.
Salah Abu Niswa, who witnessed the attack, said the assailants approached the farmers before targeting someone who was alone.
“They snuck up like thieves, they caught someone by himself and began to beat him,” he said.
Yesh Din, an Israeli organization that monitors settlement activity and settler violence, reported at least 170 attacks against Palestinians since Sept. 27, around the beginning of the olive harvest.
The organization’s figures highlight the risks facing Palestinian farmers during a season that is central to their livelihoods and cultural traditions. Attacks on farmers, damage to trees and restrictions on access to groves can threaten both current harvests and future income.
Residents and rights groups have accused Israeli authorities of failing to adequately prevent the assaults or hold perpetrators accountable. Settler violence has intensified this year, with a further increase reported in the weeks leading up to Israel's Oct. 27 election.
Netanyahu has criticized settler violence, but his government has faced international criticism over its response. His right-wing coalition has overseen an expansion of Israeli settlements and smaller outposts across the West Bank.
The attacks have also drawn condemnation from some of Israel's longtime allies, including Britain, which has considered sanctions over settler violence.
About 500,000 Israeli settlers live alongside at least 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank. The United Nations and most countries consider Israeli settlements in the territory illegal under international law. Israel disputes that position and regards the territory as disputed rather than occupied.