Israel Arrests 10 Suspects Over West Bank Settler Attacks
Israeli police arrested 10 suspects in a pre-dawn operation on Monday, October 19, after a weekend of West Bank settler violence that drew international condemnation, including attacks on a Washington Post photojournalist and a convoy of European diplomats near Taybeh.
Dawn Raids in the Central West Bank
The arrest operation, dubbed "Olive Leaf," began at dawn in a joint effort with the Shin Bet security agency and with IDF escort, according to police. Ten Israeli suspects were detained at several locations in the central West Bank. Police said "evidence linking them to the alleged acts was found in their possession, and several vehicles were seized."
Settler activists said one raided location was an illegal farming outpost close to the Ofra settlement, with others near Shiloh, 15 kilometers (9.5 miles) north of Ofra. In a parallel operation, IDF and Border Police forces were also evacuating illegal settler outposts and removing people trespassing in a Palestinian home, police said. A video released by police appeared to show two slingshots seized at one property, the type of weapon used to hurl stones during Friday's attack.
"The law in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) applies to everyone, regardless of identity or affiliation."
Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy
Levy added that the police were committed to "professional, equal and impartial enforcement, based on evidence and in accordance with the law."
Two Days of Violence That Triggered the Raids
On Friday, October 16, masked settlers descended on Palestinian olive harvesters in the village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah. Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, a 64-year-old American citizen wearing a vest clearly marked "press," was brutally attacked. "They just kept kicking me and kicking me," she said in a video filmed at a hospital. Her cameras and phone were stolen, and she required hospitalization. At least 10 Palestinians were also wounded in attacks across the West Bank that day, according to medics.
On Saturday, October 17, a convoy of European diplomats was attacked in Taybeh, a predominantly Christian village east of Ramallah. Seven masked settlers arrived on ATVs, demanded identification, and smashed the window of a Belgian consulate car with what appeared to be an iron rod while people were inside. The delegation included diplomats from France, Belgium and Poland, along with Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of the northern French town of Aulnoye-Aymeries, who was kicked to the ground. The same day, settlers reportedly stabbed some 20 Palestinian-owned sheep to death during a farm raid.
International Outrage and Political Fallout
The weekend attacks drew swift condemnation. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was "disturbed" by the images of Levine's assault and urged Israel to crack down. The European Union strongly condemned the attack on diplomats, while Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot vowed to push for EU sanctions against the perpetrators, saying "impunity for violent settlers must end."
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the "severe acts of violence by Israeli rioters," and the IDF called the attack "severe." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, suggested there was a lack of "compelling evidence" and floated the possibility of a "coordinated campaign to smear Israel" and settlers. He also said the diplomats had entered a "sensitive area with a history of confrontations without prior coordination" with the military.
Rights groups note that prosecutions of Israeli settlers are rare. Settler attacks against Palestinians averaged six a day in the first half of the year, according to the United Nations, and the Israeli rights group Yesh Din counted at least 170 attacks since September 27. Even as the arrests were announced Monday, Palestinian media reported settlers set fire to a vehicle overnight in the village of Beit Ummar, near Hebron, with no injuries reported.
With Israel's October 27 elections days away, the weekend's violence has forced the government's hand on a problem rights groups say it has long tolerated.
Watch
Watch: EU Diplomats Attacked in West Bank: Belgium Demands EU Sanctions as Israel Opens Probe | Taybeh 2026 — a news breakdown of the October 17 settler attack on the European diplomatic convoy near Taybeh, Belgium's demand for EU sanctions, and the police investigation that followed.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Long Road Ahead B (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources
- The Times of Israel: "In update, police say 10 suspects arrested over weekend West Bank settler attacks"
- ThePrint (Reuters): "Israeli police arrest suspects over settler attacks on US journalist, European diplomats"
- NDTV: "Israeli Settlers Attack European Diplomats In West Bank, French Mayor Beaten"
- NPR: "Israeli settlers beat Palestinians and a U.S. photojournalist in West Bank attacks"