Washington Post Photographer Beaten in West Bank as Israel and Witnesses Differ on Attack

Masked Israeli settlers beat an American photojournalist and attacked Palestinian olive harvesters in the occupied West Bank on Friday, according to NPR and The Independent. The Washington Post said its photographer, Heidi Levine, was beaten while wearing gear marked as press, and the Israeli prime minister's office has described the facts as unclear.

The dispute over what happened comes during an olive harvest season that monitors describe as unusually violent, and it raises questions about whether journalists covering the West Bank can expect protection.

What happened in the olive groves

Levine, who is described by The Independent as a veteran conflict reporter, was covering the harvest in the village of Abu Falah. In a video recorded at a hospital, she said she was attacked, pushed to the ground and kicked repeatedly. She said her cameras and phone were stolen. NPR reported that she was taken to a hospital by ambulance.

Levine said she saw at least 50 masked men on a hilltop, some with slingshots, before they ran down toward the group. Andrey X, a journalist and activist who filmed the attack and spoke to The Independent, also put the number at no fewer than 50. He said the settlers carried slingshots and clubs and later automatic rifles, and that he and other journalists pulled Levine to an ambulance while being chased. Reuters witnesses also reported seeing guns, according to The Independent.

The Post said settlers set Palestinian olive groves on fire and threw stones with slingshots. Reports differ on the number of injured. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said there were two dozen settler attacks on olive harvesters on Friday, leaving 20 people injured. The Independent, citing Palestinian medics, reported that two people were taken to hospitals in the Ramallah area after the military moved into Abu Falah, where a Palestinian man was reportedly shot.

What the Israeli government and military say

Israeli police said they were aware of reports that a foreign journalist had been hurt. They said they would investigate and bring those responsible to justice, according to NPR.

The Israeli military said it and the Border Police went to the area after reports of a violent confrontation and used riot dispersal means to break it up. It also said it strongly condemns the incident, The Independent reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on social media that the facts remained unclear and were under investigation. The Independent reported that Netanyahu condemned violence but said Palestinians and left-wing activists had confronted about 40 Israeli youths, an account the outlet said contradicts witnesses and video. He added that disputed incidents should not be used to demonize the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of the West Bank.

What the Post, witnesses and press groups say

Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray said the paper was outraged by an unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job and urged a thorough investigation. Responding to the prime minister's statement on X, he wrote that some facts are not in dispute: "Our photographer was clearly marked as Press. She was clearly beaten."

Sara Qudah, who covers the Middle East for the Committee to Protect Journalists, told NPR the beating was part of a pattern of violence and harassment against journalists regardless of nationality. She said attackers have little reason to fear consequences because Israeli authorities do not act to stop the violence. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate called the attack an assault on press freedom. The International Women's Media Foundation said journalists covering conflict are increasingly treated as targets.

The U.S. State Department said it contacted the Post to offer consular assistance. It said it condemns criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and supports investigations and legal accountability. NPR noted that the statement did not mention the assault on the American photographer.

What's at stake for journalists and harvesters

For Palestinian farmers, the harvest is a yearly tradition that now carries physical risk. The Israeli monitoring group Yesh Din counted at least 234 attacks directly related to the olive harvest since Sept. 27, with soldiers documented as present in more than a quarter of them, according to The Independent. The United Nations humanitarian office said settler attacks during the season have killed one Palestinian and damaged more than 2,500 olive trees or saplings, NPR reported.

For reporters, the case follows another beating earlier this month, when Israelis attacked Agence France-Presse photojournalist Jaafar Ashtiyeh while he covered settler violence against olive farmers. Press groups say clear markings and protective gear did not prevent the attacks, and they are calling for investigations that lead to accountability.

The wider setting is a West Bank where, according to The Independent, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live alongside 3 million Palestinians under Israeli military rule. Israeli police have said an investigation is underway, and no arrests were reported in the sources.

Sources: NPR, The Independent