US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called for a full investigation into an attack on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine and urged the arrest and prosecution of those responsible after she was seriously injured in an attack carried out by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
In a post on X, Huckabee said Levine is a US citizen who was clearly identified as a journalist, describing the assault as an “act of terrorism” carried out by masked individuals. He stressed that everyone involved must be held accountable to the fullest extent permitted by law.
He added that the US Embassy had called for a full investigation into the incident, as well as the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
Levine was injured on Friday when an attack targeted Palestinians picking olives near the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah. She was taken to hospital for treatment.
The attack on Levine came amid a surge in Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest season, which is a major source of income for Palestinian families.
Media reports said a group of masked settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives near Abu Falah and set fire to olive trees. They also assaulted Levine, who was wearing a protective vest marked “Press,” knocking her to the ground and kicking her before taking her journalistic equipment and phone.
Israeli police said they had opened an investigation into the assault, while The Washington Post called for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible. The incident came amid other attacks targeting Palestinians during the olive harvest season in various parts of the occupied West Bank.
