Israeli police arrested 10 suspects in coordinated dawn raids across the West Bank as part of Operation Olive Leaf, launched in response to weekend attacks on a Washington Post photographer and European diplomats. The operation involved Israel Police, the Shin Bet security agency, Border Police, and IDF support, with forces entering multiple locations, handcuffing individuals, searching buildings, and seizing evidence along with several vehicles. The suspects face questioning on suspicion of involvement in acts of violence, violating a closed military zone order, and illegal construction. The arrests followed the severe beating of photojournalist Heidi Levine on Friday while she covered the Palestinian olive harvest in the village of Abu Falah, and a separate assault the next day on diplomats from Belgium, France, and Poland in nearby Taybeh. Levine suffered four broken vertebrae, a broken rib, and serious hand injuries that required surgery after being knocked down, kicked repeatedly, and stripped of her cameras while wearing a clearly marked press vest.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee welcomed the detentions as a positive step toward finding and punishing those responsible for the attack on the unarmed journalist. The incidents occurred amid a documented rise in settler violence during the olive harvest season, drawing strong condemnation from the United States and European governments that demanded accountability. Israeli police emphasized their commitment to professional and equal law enforcement based on evidence, stating that investigations continue to build a case for potential prosecution. The raids mark a relatively rare instance of significant arrests in connection with settler-related violence in the West Bank. As questioning proceeds, the suspects remain in custody while authorities work to determine individual roles in the weekend’s violence and related offenses.