Settlers beat Palestinians, US journalist in West Bank attacks: ‘They kept kicking me and kicking me’

A number of people were injured Friday, including both Palestinians and an American journalist from the Washington Post, as settlers attacked groups harvesting olives at several locations in the West Bank. Some 80 settlers, many of them masked and some of them carrying gas canisters, descended from a hill to the terraced olive grove where villagers from Abu Falah had gathered to pick ripe fruit, witnesses said. Some of them used slings to launch rocks toward Palestinian villagers, who descended toward the bottom of the hill before they began to throw rocks back at the settlers, witnesses said. Palestinian media outlets reported that the Palestinian Red Crescent treated a 63-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man who sustained injuries from beatings by settlers. The injured woman was Heidi Levine, a photojournalist who works for The Washington Post and has reported on conflicts around the world. There was no immediate comment from The Washington Post on the incident. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms In footage, the photojournalist is seen at one point lying on the ground as masked individuals beat her with sticks before fleeing the scene. Severe settler + soldier attack on olive harvesters in Abu Falah. American WaPo journalist Heidi Levine badly wounded. Machine gunfire—at least one Palestinian shot. Tear gas. Soldiers assaulting journalists. pic.twitter.com/He61cNYk0c — jasper nathaniel (@infinite_jaz) October 16, 2026 Advertisement Other journalists and Palestinians then approach her, and she can be heard saying in English, “I’m not okay. They took all my stuff.” Speaking from a hospital bed, Levine, who is in stable condition, said: “I was attacked, pushed to the ground. Luckily I had my flak jacket and helmet, otherwise I probably wouldn’t even be here, because they just kept kicking me and kicking me.” Levine said the attack ended when her Palestinian colleagues intervened, after which medics rushed her in an ambulance to a clinic in Abu Falah and then to a hospital in Ramallah. Palestinian volunteers douse an olive tree set alight along with a Palestinian-owned vehicle, reportedly by Israeli settlers, near the village of Turmus Ayya, north of the city of Ramallah, in the West Bank on October 16, 2026. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP) Witnesses said that partway through the attack, at least two Israeli military jeeps drove through the area, but the attack continued even after the military’s arrival, with soldiers firing tear gas in the direction of the Palestinians. Gunshots could also be heard in footage from the incident. The Israeli military said it had fired shots at a suspect who allegedly ran at troops with a sharp object. “The settlers want to attack us and force us from our homes,” said farmer Moutaz Abdelhadi. Advertisement مستوطنون يطلقون الرصاص الحي خلال اعتدائهم على قاطفي الزيتون في قرية أبو فلاح بالضفة الغربية #الأخبار pic.twitter.com/Ho76Uvh1Sz — الجزيرة مباشر (@ajmubasher) October 16, 2026 In the wake of the clash, a settler council said “hundreds of terrorists and anarchists” hurled stones and shot fireworks directly toward Israelis. The Binyamin Regional Council alleged that the incident was a “planned provocation” in which journalists were behind the Israelis and filmed their reaction. The Israeli military and police said they were investigating the violence. The army said troops and Border Police officers were dispatched to the Abu Falah area following reports of a “violent confrontation.” Forces who arrived at the scene “acted to disperse the confrontation using riot dispersal means,” the military said, adding that the “confrontation was dispersed.” At a nearby location, the army said troops fired warning shots into the air and subsequently at a suspect who “ran toward them carrying a sharp object and posed a threat to them.” The IDF added that “all circumstances surrounding the incident will be examined.” Police said investigators were set to enter the area with an IDF escort to collect evidence and take testimony as part of the investigation. Advertisement Separately, police said they were also investigating another attack by settlers on Palestinian olive harvesters in the Turmus Ayya area, where vehicles and olive trees belonging to Palestinians were set on fire. Footage from the incident showed settlers setting fire to a car — the official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA reported that settlers set fire to three vehicles in total. The Palestinian Civil Defense — a rescue and emergency response organization operating under the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank — said settlers attacked one of its members as he attempted to extinguish a car, and that one of the destroyed vehicles belonged to the organization. مركبة تأكلها النيران بعد هجوم مليشيات المستوطنين على المزارعين في ترمسعيا شمال رام الله pic.twitter.com/s0oX7u22Cd — شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) October 16, 2026 In the Birzeit area near Ramallah, a 70-year-old Palestinian was injured in a settler attack, apparently also during the olive harvest, Palestinian media reported. Additionally, footage was published online showing settlers near the village of Burqa, in the Ramallah area, apparently attempting to approach Palestinians among the olive trees. ???? المستوطنون يهاجمون المزارعين في أراضي بلدة برقا شرق رام الله. pic.twitter.com/cF5w0kBBFy — شبكة يافا الإخبارية (@yaffa_ps) October 16, 2026 Advertisement The Israel Police and the IDF said they “view any manifestation of violence gravely, particularly when it involves journalists carrying out their work.” The army added that “attempts to incite friction between populations undermine security in the area,” and that it will “work together with the relevant authorities to eradicate this phenomenon.” Police added that it will “continue to act resolutely and professionally to investigate these incidents and bring those involved to justice.” The incidents came amid heightened tensions across the West Bank during the annual olive harvest, a period that has frequently seen clashes and attacks around Palestinian farmland. Israel has faced growing international criticism over a surge in settler violence, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has downplayed as the work of a small number of delinquents, not from the West Bank. Critics accuse the government of condoning and even encouraging the violence, which has led to the displacement of dozens of Palestinian families. The IDF also faces mounting criticism for troops often standing by while attacks unfold, actively participating or failing to prosecute those responsible. Israel’s security forces, meanwhile, have increasingly sought to stymie the efforts of civil rights activists from assisting Palestinians with the harvest or providing so-called protective presence to them from settler attacks. 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Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Dozens of Jews meet in New York to further their vision of Jewish life without Zionism 2 Inside story Rethinking defense ties with US, Israel eyes shift from patronage to partnership 3 Op-ed: Two weeks to election Unless the opposition steps up its game, Netanyahu, the PM of Oct. 7, could yet survive this election 4 Ex-Shin Bet chief files defamation suit against Netanyahu, details warnings months before Oct. 7 5 ToI poll: Eisenkot’s party opens up big lead on Netanyahu’s, but both blocs short of majority 6 Funding Haredim and others threatens Israel’s status as advanced economy, researcher claims 7 In first, Netanyahu reveals he spoke with Syria’s Sharaa after 2025 strike in Damascus 8 Israelis living abroad fly back to vote in what they believe is a pivotal election read more: Israel & the Region settler violence West Bank Turmus Ayya olive harvest Birzeit Palestinian civil defense Binyamin Regional Council The Washington Post If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. 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