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, as US diplomats visited the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh following the incidents.
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 suspects have been taken for questioning, and the operation remains ongoing, police said.
Levine was assaulted and injured on Friday while covering Palestinians harvesting olives in the Binyamin region of the West Bank. She underwent surgery at Beilinson Hospital on Saturday, with her condition reported as moderate. She sustained injuries to her limbs, according to The Jerusalem Post.
A day later, masked Israeli settlers attacked European diplomats from France, Belgium and Poland near Taybeh, east of Ramallah. A French mayor and Palestinian civilians were also reportedly targeted.
The incident drew 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, describing it as part of a wider 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 Israeli police investigation, Anand said Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure 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. He noted, however, that the diplomatic delegation’s visit had not been coordinated with the IDF in advance, arguing that prior coordination could have helped protect the visitors.
The IDF separately condemned the attack and said 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 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 would be examined.
On Sunday, US diplomats visited Taybeh following the attacks. Riley Barnes, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour, and Brian Burch, US ambassador to the Holy See, visited the Latin Convent church and were expected to meet members of the Christian community.
The visit came amid wider debate over Washington’s approach to Israeli settlements and settler violence. US President Donald Trump has opposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank, but his administration has faced criticism for putting limited pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing, pro-settler government. Trump also endorsed Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s parliamentary election scheduled for October 27.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attended a settler conference in the West Bank on Sunday.
Netanyahu said the European diplomats had entered a “sensitive area with a history of confrontations without prior coordination” with the Israeli military. He also said the facts surrounding the attack on Levine remained “unclear”. Far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel was a lawful state and that any incident should be addressed if evidence was available.
The West Bank is home to around 500,000 Israeli settlers and at least three million Palestinians. The United Nations and most countries consider Israeli settlements illegal under international law, while Israel rejects this position and describes the territory as disputed rather than occupied.
Settler attacks against Palestinians have increased, with at least 170 reported since September 27, according to Israeli human rights group Yesh Din. Journalists, activists and foreign observers have also been targeted, while prosecutions of Israeli settlers remain rare.
(With agency inputs from ANI and Reuters)
