'Like a biblical battle': WP journalist wounded in West Bank credits Palestinian youth with rescue
Levine, along with a group of Palestinians, journalists, and activists, was attacked by the settlers while harvesting olives near Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.
The Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was gravely wounded during an attack by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank, according to The Guardian. Levine described the scene as resembling a biblical battle, as she and a group of Palestinians, journalists, and activists were attacked while harvesting olives near Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.
The settlers, wielding machine guns and armed with sticks, kicked and beat Levine multiple times, nearly causing her brain damage or loss of an eye. Israeli youth, however, using slingshots to hurl stones, protected her, saving her life. US journalist Jasper Nathaniel approached after the settlers were pushed back, assisting Levine.
President Isaac Herzog called Levine to apologize, calling the perpetrators thugs. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office claimed video footage appeared to show one of the attackers helping Levine, but Levine dismissed this as "bulls***". Levine lost her documents, passport, credit card, camera disk, and lenses due to the attack.
Ten suspects were arrested after the incident, and Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed to handle the issue through the police, amid concerns about the IDF's handling of extremist settler violence.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
