Journalist Heidi Levine was severely assaulted during a violent incident involving Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank village of Abu Falah, local witnesses and colleagues reported. The attack occurred as Palestinian villagers had just begun the olive harvest, when approximately 50 Israeli settlers arrived armed with clubs, slingshots, and automatic rifles.
Andrey X, a journalist and activist present at the scene, captured footage showing a group of masked assailants relentlessly beating Levine while she lay on the ground. Levine later recounted from her hospital bed that she was repeatedly pushed to the ground, kicked, and robbed of her camera equipment, bag, and phone. She credited her survival to wearing a flak jacket and helmet, as the attackers continued to strike her even after she was briefly helped to her feet and then knocked down again.
The violence escalated despite the arrival of Israeli military forces, who reportedly deployed tear gas. According to Reuters witnesses, armed individuals fired live ammunition during the confrontation. Palestinians and journalists began retreating, but Levine was left behind, where she was targeted by assailants wielding clubs. Andrey X and other journalists managed to pull her away and secure her transfer to an ambulance, even as settlers pursued them, throwing rocks. The Israeli army was reported to have remained present but did not intervene to prevent the assaults.
Following the incident, Israeli military forces reportedly raided Abu Falah, where they shot a Palestinian man who was subsequently hospitalized. Palestinian medical sources confirmed that two individuals were injured during the clashes and required treatment in hospitals near Ramallah.
The sequence of events reflects continued tensions and violent confrontations in the West Bank, particularly during the annual olive harvest season when disputes over land ownership and settler activity often intensify.
