Al Jazeera investigation challenges Israeli account of Heidi Levine attack

The investigation says veteran Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was assaulted while covering an attack on Palestinian olive harvesters. She was wearing a clearly marked press vest, yet masked settlers knocked her down and injured her seriously. The findings matter because they challenge official Israeli accounts of who attacked her and what soldiers did at the scene.

Levine suffered a broken rib, four fractured vertebrae, and wounds requiring hand surgery. Footage shows colleagues reaching her only after Palestinian youths pushed the settlers back by throwing stones. Journalist Jasper Nathaniel said the youths gave him cover while facing settlers and soldiers using machine guns and tear gas.

The investigation places the assault about 455 metres from a settler outpost and 120 metres from the olive harvest. It says military vehicles passed before the attack without intervening. Later, soldiers fired tear gas at harvesters and pursued Palestinian youths rather than the settlers, according to the investigation.

Open-source verification is the process of examining publicly available photos, videos, maps, and other material to establish what happened. Investigators compare visual details, locations, timing, and witness accounts instead of relying on one official statement. This matters when different sides give conflicting versions of an event.

Al Jazeera’s Data Journalism Unit monitored more than 20 videos and photographs taken by journalists and witnesses. It independently verified the footage, placed the recordings in chronological order, communicated with local journalists, and mapped important locations. The team identified the attack site, the settler outpost, the olive fields, and nearby storage rooms.

That method produced a sequence beginning around 8am, with a settler vehicle and motorcycles moving toward the area. About 30 settlers were later seen gathering near the farmers. The mapped evidence connected those movements with the assault on Levine and the later actions of Israeli soldiers, challenging official narratives.

The investigation identified a visible group of about 30 settlers near the Palestinian farmers, alongside seven vehicles moving toward the area. It also examined more than 20 pieces of visual evidence. Together, these figures show both the scale of the gathering and the breadth of material used to reconstruct the incident.

The reported movements began around 8am. One 4×4 vehicle carrying settlers headed toward the site, followed by six motorcycles moving toward the area opposite the olive harvesters. A video posted shortly after 9am showed about 30 settlers gathering near the farmers. The investigators compared these recordings with mapped locations and witness accounts.

The figures are approximate where the article uses words such as “about” or “more than.” They do not represent every person or vehicle present. They establish the scale documented by the investigation and support its conclusion that masked settlers moved in a coordinated way before the assault and the burning of olive trees.

Before the assault, settlers moved toward the olive harvesters in a 4×4 and on six motorcycles. About 30 gathered near the farmers, while Israeli military vehicles passed through the area. The investigation says the settlers then advanced, set olive trees on fire, and attacked journalists and harvesters, including Heidi Levine.

When Levine was knocked down, her colleagues could reach her only after Palestinian youths threw stones and pushed the settlers back. Journalist Jasper Nathaniel said the youths provided cover while facing both settlers and soldiers. A video also recorded four gunshots followed by two more, which correspondent Tharwat Shaqra attributed to settlers.

Later footage showed Israeli forces stationed in the settlers’ area. Soldiers fired tear gas at olive harvesters, pursued the Palestinian youths, and shot local council member Abdel Jaber Obeid. The army also intercepted the ambulance before his transfer to hospital. The investigation says the soldiers did not pursue the settlers.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and the military presented accounts that differ from the investigation’s reconstruction. The Prime Minister’s Office questioned whether Israeli settlers were to blame at all. The army suggested that soldiers were addressing a confrontation between Palestinians and settlers. These descriptions frame the event differently from an attack led by settlers.

The investigation reached its conclusion by combining verified footage, mapped coordinates, witness accounts, and a timeline. It identified masked settlers gathering near the farmers, military vehicles passing shortly before the assault, and settlers advancing without being stopped. It also documented Palestinian youths helping Levine and soldiers later using tear gas against harvesters.

The difference matters because the competing accounts assign responsibility in different ways. The investigation says the evidence shows a coordinated settler attack and military non-intervention. Official statements instead emphasize uncertainty about the attackers or describe the incident as a two-sided confrontation. The article does not provide a final official explanation resolving those differences.

When armed forces fail to stop an attack on civilians or journalists, the immediate consequence can be serious injury and continued danger. In this incident, Heidi Levine suffered a broken rib, four fractured vertebrae, and four fractured vertebrae? The article reports a broken rib, four fractured vertebrae, and wounds requiring hand surgery. The episode also undermines confidence that people at risk will receive protection.

The investigation says Palestinian youths had to throw stones before Levine’s colleagues could reach her. Soldiers then fired tear gas at olive harvesters and pursued those youths, while local council member Abdel Jaber Obeid was shot and his ambulance was intercepted. These actions increased the danger for people intervening and for those trying to provide medical help.

The broader consequence is a more dangerous environment for journalists and civilians working in the area. The investigation also reports that Palestinians cannot enter nearby agricultural storage rooms now used by settlers. Without effective intervention, attacks can disrupt harvesting, restrict access, and deepen fear around future incidents.

The Oslo Accords divided the occupied West Bank into Areas A, B, and C with different authorities. In Area A, the Palestinian Authority generally handles civil affairs and internal security. In Area B, the Palestinian Authority manages civil affairs while Israel retains overriding security control. In Area C, Israel controls civil and security matters. These arrangements shape daily administration and responses to violence.

The article specifically identifies the settler outpost as being in Area B. It says the Palestinian Authority manages civil affairs there, while Israel retains security control. That division helps explain why Israeli forces were the security authority present during the reported attack, even though Palestinian institutions manage civilian matters.

In practice, divided authority can make responsibility and protection contested. The investigation says Palestinians could no longer enter nearby storage rooms after settlers began staying there, while Israeli forces were present during the incident. The different areas therefore affect access, land use, policing, and the ability of communities to respond when conflict occurs. The Area A and C descriptions use established background beyond the article’s specific Area B account.