Israeli police announced on Monday the arrest of ten people suspected of involvement in recent attacks by Israeli settlers on a European diplomatic convoy in the occupied West Bank, which left a French mayor beaten and an American photojournalist seriously injured.
In a statement, the police said the arrests were carried out “before dawn” as part of an investigation conducted in the West Bank in cooperation with the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, following “the serious violence that occurred over the weekend.” The statement did not specify whether the suspects were Israeli settlers.
Diplomats and Journalists Targeted
On Saturday, Israeli settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats visiting the West Bank, beating a French mayor. The previous day, settlers had seriously wounded Heidi Levine, an American photographer for The Washington Post who was covering the olive harvest in the territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
According to the account given by the journalist, she was wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest when she was assaulted — protective gear that she credited with limiting the severity of her injuries.
A Sharp Rise in Settler Violence
Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank has intensified sharply in recent months, with a further surge during the olive harvest season. The attacks have taken the form of:
- Physical assaults on Palestinians and visiting foreigners
- Land seizures and the theft of harvests
- Vandalism targeting places of worship and homes
- Attacks on Palestinian and foreign journalists
The assault on the diplomatic convoy drew a strong response from Paris, where the French foreign ministry condemned what it called a “gravely serious aggression” against its delegation.
The arrests mark a rare instance of Israeli authorities detaining suspects in connection with settler violence, which rights groups say is seldom prosecuted. The police did not indicate whether the investigation would extend to additional suspects, and no details were released on the identities or affiliations of those held.
