Israel detains 10 suspects in settler attacks — Al Jazeera

Israeli police detained 10 suspects on Monday morning in connection with a wave of settler attacks in the occupied West Bank. These attacks included assaults on American photojournalist Heidi Levine and European diplomats, Al Jazeera reports.

The detainees are suspected of involvement in violent acts, violating an order regarding a closed military zone, and illegal construction. Police did not disclose their names. Israeli Army Radio reported that all those detained are Israeli citizens.

Attack on the photojournalist

On Friday, a group of settler men attacked The Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine in the village of Abu Falah in the occupied West Bank. According to Al Jazeera, she suffered fractures to several ribs and vertebrae.

Levine also underwent surgery on a finger that was nearly severed. She sustained injuries to her lower body that, according to the outlet, resembled stab wounds and required stitches.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the detentions a very positive development in finding and punishing those who, he said, brutally attacked and beat the journalist.

Attack on diplomats

The following day, masked people attacked European diplomats who were visiting the Christian village of Taybeh. France, Belgium, and Poland, whose representatives were attacked, called on Israel to take action.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and the military placed responsibility for the attack on the diplomats on “Israeli rioters”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the diplomats entered a sensitive area with a history of clashes without coordinating with the military, and called the circumstances of the attack on Levine unclear. The journalist said she was shocked and offended by these words.

The detentions took place amid an increase in attacks by Israeli settlers, who are obstructing Palestinians’ annual olive harvest in the West Bank.