U.S. urges Israel to curb settler violence in West Bank, Rubio says

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Israel to take firmer action against violent settlers operating in the West Bank, following a series of attacks on Palestinians and foreigners in the region. During a press conference on Saturday, Rubio expressed his shock and concern over footage showing an American photojournalist being assaulted by Israeli settlers.

He emphasized that Washington had repeatedly urged Israeli authorities to put an end to such acts of violence. The incident, which occurred on Friday, involved several individuals attacking Heidi Levine, a Washington Post photojournalist, as well as European diplomats and a French mayor. Adrienne Arsht, Belgium's foreign minister, reported that the attackers targeted Palestinian civilians as well.

The U.S. State Department has requested further information about the incident involving Levine and is awaiting additional details from the American Embassy in Jerusalem. Rubio, who was departing for Uzbekistan, stated that he anticipated receiving an update by Sunday. The surge in reported settler violence, particularly during the annual Palestinian olive harvest season, has raised concerns about the safety of Palestinian communities and foreign nationals working in the occupied territory.

Israeli settlement monitoring organization Yesh Din reported at least 170 attacks against Palestinians since September 27, the start of the harvest season. Rubio's remarks underscore the mounting international pressure on Israeli authorities to address settler violence, especially in light of attacks targeting American citizens and European representatives.