Israeli police detained at least 10 Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank following violent attacks during the annual olive harvest, including assaults on a U.S. citizen and European diplomats. The detainees were identified by Honenu, a pro-settler legal aid group, though police did not specify how many were linked to specific incidents, noting some were detained for entering closed military zones. The attacks, which have spiked since the Gaza war began in late 2023, target Palestinians harvesting olives — a vital economic and cultural activity.
On Friday, masked assailants severely injured U.S. citizen Heidi Levine, 63, breaking her rib, shattering vertebrae, and wounding her finger, requiring surgery. On Saturday, settlers attacked Palestinians and a European diplomatic convoy in Taybeh, assaulting a French mayor and drawing condemnation from the European Union. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee praised the arrests as a “very positive development,” despite his prior support for the settler movement. Rights groups like Yesh Din report that around 93% of investigations into settler violence over the past two decades end without indictments, highlighting systemic impunity.
Former Israeli officials have labeled the violence “Jewish terrorism,” while critics accuse the Netanyahu government of emboldening extremists through inaction. Over 500,000 settlers live among approximately three million Palestinians in the West Bank, where Palestinians remain under military rule.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing