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Israeli police have arrested eight suspects in connection with weekend attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians, European diplomats and Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine in the occupied West Bank, The Times of Israel reported.
Levine was violently assaulted and injured while covering Palestinians harvesting olives on Friday, while European diplomats from France, Belgium and Poland were targeted near the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh on Saturday. The arrests were made under an operation dubbed Olive Leaf, launched at dawn in coordination with Israel's Shin Bet security agency and with an escort from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), police said. So far, eight suspects have been arrested and several vehicles have been seized, police said, adding that IDF and Border Police forces were also conducting enforcement operations to dismantle illegal settler outposts, address violations of military-issued restraining orders and investigate an intrusion into a Palestinian home. The eight suspects have been taken for questioning, while the operation remains ongoing, police added. Levine underwent surgery at Beilinson Hospital on Saturday after the assault in the Binyamin region of the West Bank. Her condition was reported as moderate, and she sustained injuries to her limbs, according to The Jerusalem Post. The attack on the photojournalist came a day before the assault on European diplomats near Taybeh, east of Ramallah, which prompted condemnation from European governments and Canada, with officials calling for accountability and protection for diplomats and civilians. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Ottawa joined the European Union and its allies in condemning the attack, calling it part of a broader pattern of settler violence. This unacceptable attack in Taybeh is part of a broader pattern of settler violence that threatens Palestinian communities and undermines peace efforts, Anand said in a statement shared on X. Welcoming the investigation launched by Israeli police, Anand said Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure that those responsible are held accountable and guarantee the protection of diplomats and civilians in the West Bank. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar also condemned the violence, saying a police investigation had been opened and forensic investigators were collecting evidence to identify those responsible. Sa'ar, however, noted that the diplomatic delegation's visit had not been coordinated with the IDF in advance, saying such coordination could have helped safeguard the visitors. The IDF separately condemned the attack and confirmed that police officers and forensic investigators had entered the area alongside Israeli soldiers to collect evidence and record witness testimonies. According to a preliminary military inquiry, no IDF soldiers were present at the scene when the attack occurred. The military also said the initial report had been sent to a brigade operations room designated to receive reports from security personnel, rather than civilians, adding that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be examined. (ANI)
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