Israeli Police Arrest 10 Suspects Over Attacks on US Journalist, European Diplomats

Israeli police have arrested 10 suspects over a series of attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, including the assault on an American photojournalist and European diplomats.

The suspects were arrested early on Monday, October 19, 2026, on suspicion of involvement in violent acts, violating a military order restricting access to a designated area, and illegal construction, according to the police.

The police did not disclose the identities of the suspects. However, Israel’s Army Radio reported that all 10 were Israeli citizens.

The arrests followed attacks reported over the weekend in the occupied West Bank, where violence by Israeli settlers has intensified during the annual Palestinian olive harvest.

Among the victims was Heidi Levine, an American photojournalist working for The Washington Post, who was attacked by a group of male settlers in the village of Abu Falah on Friday.

The assault left Levine with several broken ribs and vertebrae. She also underwent surgery on a finger that was nearly severed during the attack.

According to the report, she was also recovering from injuries to her lower body that appeared to be stab wounds and required stitches.

United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee welcomed the arrests, describing them as a positive development towards holding those responsible for the assault accountable.

In a post on X on Monday, Huckabee said the arrests were “a very positive development in finding & punishing those who severely attacked and beat” Levine.

The arrests also followed an incident on Saturday in which masked Israeli settlers attacked European diplomats visiting Taybeh, a predominantly Christian Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank.

France, Belgium and Poland, whose representatives were affected by the incident, called on Israel to take action.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and the country’s military blamed Israeli rioters for the attack on the diplomats.

However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the diplomats had visited a sensitive area with a history of confrontations without coordinating with the Israeli military.

Netanyahu also said the circumstances surrounding the attack on Levine remained unclear.

The journalist subsequently expressed shock and displeasure at his comments, saying she felt insulted by his response.

The latest incidents have drawn renewed international attention to the growing violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The United Kingdom has described the situation as ethnic cleansing and imposed sanctions on products from illegal Israeli settlements.

Human rights organisations have also raised concerns about the frequency of settler attacks and what they describe as a lack of accountability for those responsible.

The violence has increasingly disrupted the annual olive harvest, a significant source of income for Palestinian farmers across the occupied territory.

As of Monday, Israeli police had confirmed the arrest of the 10 suspects, but further details about their identities and the progress of the investigations had not been released.

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