Israeli police have detained 10 individuals in a rare raid targeting settlers in the occupied West Bank. The detentions follow a weekend of violence, including an attack on US photojournalist Heidi Levine, which she described as an "attempted lynching."
Ms Levine reported being knocked down, kicked, and beaten by masked Israeli men while covering the olive harvest on Friday, sustaining broken vertebrae and a rib, a finger injury requiring surgery, and lacerations. The following day, European diplomats and Palestinians were attacked by Israeli militants armed with sticks and iron bars, resulting in injuries to a young Palestinian man and damage to an official car.
On Monday, Israeli police released footage of the raid and confirmed the detentions. Hours later, a court extended the detention of six men connected to the attacks on foreigners for between three and four days.
Human rights group Yesh Din has documented 561 incidents of settler and soldier violence against Palestinians in the West Bank since 27 September, averaging over 26 per day. The group's executive director, Ziv Stahl, noted that a significant response from Israeli authorities often follows attacks on foreign nationals, with 94% of investigations into settler violence against Palestinians closing without indictments.