The Washington Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, said Friday that Israeli settlers attacked one of the paper's photojournalists while she was on assignment in the West Bank. The journalist, Heidi Levine, was covering an annual olive harvest in a Palestinian village when masked assailants set upon her, according to a statement Murray posted on X.
“She was wearing visible markings clearly identifying her as a journalist,” Murray wrote. “We are outraged by this unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job.”
Video footage shared by The Post shows Levine on the ground as masked settlers kick her in the stomach. Independent journalist Andrey Khrzhanovskiy, who was on the scene, alleged the attackers also beat her with sticks. In the video, Levine is heard saying, “They took everything. They took all my stuff. They just kept kicking me and kicking me, like probably 50 times.”
The attack occurred during a larger incident in which masked settlers descended on the village’s harvest, burning olive trees and throwing rocks at Palestinians, according to witnesses cited by Reuters. About 80 masked individuals carrying gas canisters were reported to have taken part.
Levine was treated at a hospital in Ramallah and is now safe, Murray said. The assault has drawn sharp condemnation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said, “Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone—Jews, Arabs, Christians or journalists. Those responsible will be held accountable.”
However, Netanyahu also raised questions about who initiated the confrontation, citing reports that “some 200 Arabs and far-left activists confronted approximately 40 Israeli youths.” He noted that “masked individuals on both sides [were] hurling objects” and that recordings appear “to show Levine knocked down and immediately helped to her feet by the same unidentified individual.” The prime minister insisted that “the investigation must establish the facts, including who initiated the violence.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Border Police confirmed their forces responded to the incident, saying, “All details of the incident will be examined. Upon arriving to the scene, the forces acted to disperse the confrontation using riot dispersal means.” The IDF added that at another location, soldiers fired warning shots and then shot toward a suspect who ran at them with a sharp object.
The assault on Levine has renewed scrutiny of the safety of journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a concern that has been raised repeatedly in recent years. The incident also comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with Washington’s diplomatic efforts facing new challenges. As regional rivalries complicate U.S. mediation, the attack underscores the volatile atmosphere on the ground.
The Post has called for a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be held to account. The Israeli government has pledged to examine the incident, but the dueling narratives from Netanyahu and the journalists on the scene highlight the deep divisions that continue to shape the conflict.
