Israeli police arrest suspects over settler attacks on US journalist and European diplomats in West Bank

TEL AVIV — Israeli police said on Monday they had arrested suspects in an investigation into weekend violence in the West Bank, including attacks on a US photojournalist and European diplomats. Reports differ on whether eight or ten people were detained.

Arab News reported that police said ten suspects were held for questioning. Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Arabiya, in posts on Telegram, put the number at eight. Al Jazeera's post described them as settlers linked to the attacks. Those posts are unverified social media content. Arab News also carried a summary that referred to eight suspects, so the figure is not settled in the sources.

Police did not name the suspects or say what accusations they face, according to Arab News. They said the investigation was continuing.

Israeli radio station Galatz reported that the suspects were Israelis and that the Shin Bet domestic security service was taking part in the inquiry, Arab News said. That detail comes from a single outlet and was not confirmed by police in the material available.

The two attacks

On Friday, masked Israeli settlers were filmed assaulting Heidi Levine, a Washington Post photojournalist and US citizen, according to Arab News. She was covering a Palestinian olive harvest in the West Bank.

On Saturday, masked settlers attacked European diplomats and a French mayor in another part of the West Bank, Arab News reported. The diplomats were from France, Belgium and Poland.

Reactions

The violence drew condemnation from the United States, Israel's closest ally, and from France, Belgium and Poland, according to Arab News.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and the Israeli military blamed "Israeli rioters" for the attack on the diplomats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been more cautious. He said the diplomats entered a "sensitive area with a history of confrontations without prior coordination" with the Israeli military. He also said the facts of the attack on Levine were "unclear".

Netanyahu's coalition is projected to lose its governing majority at the election on October 27, Arab News reported.

Background

Prosecutions of Israeli settlers are rare, according to Arab News. Settler attacks on Palestinians are rising, with at least 170 recorded since September 27, according to Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group. Journalists, Israeli activists and foreign observers have also been targeted, Arab News said.

It was not clear from the sources whether any of the detainees would be charged, or whether they remained in custody. Police have not said which incident each suspect is linked to.