US condemns Israeli settlers for 'cowardly' attack on journalist - as European diplomats 'is beaten'

America has condemned Israeli settlers for attacks on a US journalist in the West Bank, amid the fallout of a separate alleged attack on a European diplomat. Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel , criticised 'masked cowards' who set upon 63-year-old Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine in a 'despicable act of terror' causing her to break her vertebrae. The award-winning photojournalist, who was with a group of Palestinians, was seriously injured in Friday's attack in the village of Abu Falah, with US secretary of state Marco Rubio sharing that he was 'disturbed' by 'what we're seeing'.

Meanwhile, Bernard Baudoux, the Left-wing mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France , has said he was kicked to the floor by settlers on Saturday and attacked with iron bars while a convoy of French, Belgian and Polish representatives visited a Palestinian Christian village. 'If settlers are behaving like this, there is a tolerance on the part of the Israeli government,' the 78-year-old said. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ambiguous in addressing the assault, condemning 'violence against anyone' but referring to the attack as 'alleged'.

In the attack on Friday, Ms Levine said she was forced to the ground and beaten for more than ten minutes by the settlers, who stole her camera, passport and phone. She remained in hospital in Tel Aviv on Sunday as she recovered from hand surgery, broken ribs and other injuries. 63-year-old Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who was with a group of Palestinians, was seriously injured after an attack by Israeli settlers on Friday in the West Bank The award-winning photojournalist said she was forced to the ground and beaten for more than ten minutes by the settlers, who stole her camera, passport and phone Mr Huckabee said Ms Levine was clearly identified as a journalist when she was attacked, with the journalist claiming that she only survived thanks to the body armour she was wearing.

The Washington Post's owner tech-tycoon Jeff Bezos is aware of the incident, with Ms Levine's son claiming that Bezos wanted to speak with the photojournalist and 'would do everything to see justice served in this case'. The EU similarly condemned the alleged settler attacks on the convoy of diplomats who were observing the annual olive harvest and the conditions that Palestinians were experiencing. It said: 'We urge Israel to fully abide by International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law.'

The bloc's foreign policy spokesman added: 'We take positive note of statements ‌by several Israeli representatives who condemned the attacks, but ‌we expect full accountability as ⁠well as effective measures to ⁠prevent continued acts of violence and violent harassment against Palestinians, including during the ‌ongoing olive harvest season, as well as ⁠against ⁠journalists.' Mr Badoux said 'the gratuitous nature of the violence is what stuns me' and claimed that the settlers 'arrived completely enraged' before going on to shout defamatory comments.

Belgian authorities said the window of a car belonging to their consulate had been smashed and footage shared online appears to show settlers demanding verification from those in the cars, as well as settlers pursuing them on quad bikes. Maxime Prévot, Belgium's Foreign Minister, said: 'As the occupying power, Israeli authorities must protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice. 'Impunity for violent settlers must end.

Palestinians face this violence every day. 'Settlers also target journalists reporting on it and diplomats. Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack.' Netanyahu said the 'allegations' were part of a 'smear campaign' and claimed that the convoy had entered a 'sensitive area' of without fully informing the Israeli army. Israeli police would conduct a full investigation, his office confirmed, after insisting that the footage does 'not establish the complete sequence of events or individual responsibility'.

According to Yesh Din, an Israeli settlement-monitoring group, there has been a surge of attacks by settlers against Palestinians, with 170 incidents recorded by the group since September 27 – when the annual olive harvest typically begins. Earlier on Sunday, Trump gave his support to longtime ally Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli elections on October 27th, as he fights to maintain his grip on power.