Settlers Attack Washington Post Photographer Heidi Levine

Masked Israeli Settlers Beat American Washington Post Photographer Heidi Levine at a Palestinian Olive Harvest in the West Bank — Chris Van Hollen Asks "When Will Trump and Rubio DO SOMETHING?", Jamie Raskin Calls It "Unconscionable and a Moment of Reckoning for the World," and Andy Kim Says Reports of a Coordinated Attack Are "Incredibly Concerning"

October 17, 2026

On Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, an American, was attacked by masked Israeli settlers near the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, while covering Palestinians harvesting olives. Wearing a helmet and a vest marked "PRESS," she was knocked to the ground, repeatedly kicked and robbed of her cameras and phone; she was hospitalized in Ramallah with injuries reported to include a nearly severed finger, a broken rib and fractured vertebrae. Palestinians were also injured in the clashes. The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, said the paper was "outraged by this unwarranted attack." The U.S. Embassy said, "We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and call for investigations, arrests, and convictions," and a State Department spokesperson said the department had offered consular assistance. Israeli police and the military opened investigations; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office condemned violence "against anyone" but said the facts "remain unclear," which critics said downplayed the attack. Democratic senators and House members, several noting that the Trump administration lifted the Biden-era sanctions on violent settlers, demanded accountability.