A Washington Post photojournalist was hospitalized after Israeli settlers attacked her and a group of Palestinians during the annual olive harvest in the occupied West Bank.
Veteran photojournalist Heidi Levine, on assignment for the newspaper, said the Palestinians she was accompanying began to retreat after seeing dozens of settlers running toward them. In a video statement, Levine described being thrown to the ground and repeatedly kicked. “I had my camera bag and my pouch with my passport, and my telephone was on a rope around my neck and they broke that off me, and they broke my cameras off me, and they broke my bag, and they kept kicking me,” she said, estimating the attack lasted about 10 minutes. “Just absolute craziness, and I didn’t see anybody trying to stop it.”
“I don’t know how a parent can raise such a monster. They’re not even humans, and yes, they are Jewish terrorists,” Levine added. “And you know what? Sadly, none of them will be prosecuted. I am sure of it.”
The Washington Post said Levine was wearing “visible markings clearly identifying her as a journalist.” The paper stated it was “outraged by this unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job” and urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.
Video of the incident shows a group of masked settlers, some armed with clubs, hurling stones at Palestinians, some of whom were also throwing stones. In the background, at least five settlers surround Levine, throw her to the ground and beat her as she covers her face with her hands. The settlers appear to rip away her bag.
Masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villagers on Friday, setting olive groves on fire and slinging rocks. Caught in the attack was Post photographer Heidi Levine. “They just kept kicking me and kicking me, like probably 50 times,” Levine said. https://t.co/9YLUuU9ktP https://t.co/0SrFcIW4as
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 16, 2026
Journalist Jasper Nathaniel, who witnessed the attack and helped Levine afterward, told CNN that settlers on a hilltop put on masks and picked up clubs while Palestinians harvested olives below. “We watched them prepare for this attack,” he said.
About an hour into the harvest, he said, the settlers charged down the hill throwing stones. Israeli soldiers then arrived and fired tear gas at the Palestinians, forcing him and Levine to retreat further. He also described settlers firing guns from the back of a white pickup truck as it raced downhill. During the retreat, Nathaniel said, five or six settlers surrounded Levine and repeatedly beat her with clubs.