Palestinians, US journalist attacked in West Bank pogrom: What we know

Dozens of masked settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah. They threw stones, used slingshots, and set olive trees ablaze. The assault disrupted a vital seasonal harvest and injured both farmers and a journalist documenting events.

Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, 64, fell during the attack. Witness Jasper Nathaniel said settlers surrounded, clubbed, kicked, robbed, and repeatedly beat her, despite her vest marked PRESS. Levine later said they kicked her about 50 times. Her cameras and phone were taken, and she was taken to a hospital in Ramallah.

Israeli soldiers arrived after the settler assault, according to witnesses. They reportedly fired live ammunition and tear gas at Palestinians and shot a Palestinian man in the thigh. The Washington Post called for a thorough investigation, while Palestinians returned to harvesting after soldiers left.

A pogrom is a violent, organized or collective attack against a particular ethnic or religious community. It can include beatings, killings, arson, looting, and destruction of homes or property. The term highlights attacks aimed at a community because of its identity, rather than an isolated dispute between individuals.

The article applies “pogrom” to repeated settler assaults on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Settlers have attacked olive pickers, burned trees and vehicles, stolen crops, and targeted journalists. The incidents have occurred across several communities and intensified during the olive harvest.

The wording also reflects the reported role of Israeli forces. The article says settlers are largely protected, or at least unrestricted, by Israeli forces. Witnesses said soldiers arrived after one assault, did not stop settlers, and then fired at Palestinians. The term therefore points to both the violence and the broader pattern of impunity described.

The violence is not described as a single incident. The article says Israeli settler pogroms have continued for many weeks across the occupied West Bank. They have intensified as Palestinians begin their annual olive harvest, when farmers must reach groves that are often near settlements or contested areas.

Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group, recorded at least 170 pogroms since September 27. Friday’s violence included Abu Falah, Burqa, and Turmus Aya. In those places, settlers attacked olive pickers, burned trees and vehicles, injured farmers, and harmed a civil defence volunteer. Journalists covering the violence were also attacked.

The scale threatens more than individual safety. Repeated assaults can block access to land, damage trees that produce future harvests, and destroy current crops. The article gives no final total or indication that the attacks have stopped. Instead, it presents Friday’s incidents as the latest in an intensifying pattern.

Israeli settlers are Israelis who live in settlements in the occupied West Bank. The article describes these settlements as illegal and says settlers have attacked Palestinian communities during the olive harvest. Their actions have included beatings, stone throwing, arson, crop theft, and assaults on journalists.

In Abu Falah, witnesses said soldiers arrived after settlers had attacked farmers and Heidi Levine. Rather than stopping the settlers, soldiers reportedly fired live ammunition and tear gas at Palestinians. A Palestinian man was shot in the thigh, and soldiers allegedly pointed guns at paramedics and shoved journalists. Similar accounts followed other settler attacks.

The article says settlers are largely protected, or at least unrestricted, by Israeli forces. That reported pattern matters because soldiers control the immediate security response. If they do not prevent attacks or hold attackers accountable, Palestinians face continuing danger while trying to work their land. The article does not report prosecutions resulting from these incidents.

Olive harvesting matters because the article directly links it to Palestinian livelihoods and access to land. It is an annual seasonal activity, so farmers must gather the crop when it is ready. Any attack during that period can prevent families from collecting what they have grown.

The risks are practical and immediate. Settlers have assaulted farmers, burned olive trees, stolen olives, and destroyed vehicles. In Burqa, four Palestinians were reportedly injured while picking olives. In Abu Falah, farmers returned to harvesting only after soldiers left. The violence therefore affects both people and the work itself.

Damage to trees can also extend beyond one harvest because trees are long-term productive assets. The article specifically says the attacks threaten livelihoods and access to land. It does not provide income figures, but the pattern is clear: injury, crop theft, and destruction make harvesting less safe and less reliable for Palestinian communities.

When olive trees, crops, and vehicles are attacked, communities lose the tools and products needed for harvesting. The article says the violence threatens Palestinian livelihoods and access to land. It also reports injuries among farmers, journalists, volunteers, and other residents, adding medical and personal costs.

The reported damage includes burned olive groves, stolen olives, and vehicles set alight. In Turmus Aya, settlers assaulted farmers and burned vehicles and olive trees. In Burqa, four Palestinians were reportedly injured. These attacks can stop work immediately, while damaged trees may reduce future harvests. The article does not report homes being attacked in these incidents.

The wider effect is continued insecurity. Farmers may struggle to reach their land or complete harvesting, and communities must respond to injuries and property damage. Journalists have also been targeted, making documentation harder. The article describes the attacks as part of weeks of intensifying violence, with no reported end to the threat.

The West Bank is called occupied because, in international law, occupation exists when a foreign military exercises effective control over territory without acquiring sovereignty over it. That status activates rules designed to protect civilians during occupation. The article uses the term “occupied West Bank” but does not provide a legal explanation.

The Fourth Geneva Convention and Hague Regulations require an occupying power to protect civilians, maintain public order, and respect private property. International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on civilians and requires distinction, proportionality, and precautions. Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its own civilian population into occupied territory. The article describes the settlements as illegal.

These rules make the reported conduct legally significant. Beatings, arson, crop theft, and attacks on journalists or farmers raise serious protection concerns. Soldiers are also expected to prevent violence against civilians. The article reports investigations being urged, but it gives no legal ruling or confirmed prosecutions.