Police arrest 10 individuals after settler attacks on journalist, diplomats over the weekend

Israel Police announced the arrest of 10 suspects on Monday morning as part of “Operation Olive Leaf,” following the violent incidents over the weekend in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria. 

In two of the incidents, settler activists attacked foreigners. Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was assaulted with injuries that required hospitalization on Friday, while a group of European diplomats was accosted and reportedly assaulted on Saturday. 

The arrest operation was led by the Israel Police’s Judea and Samaria District, in cooperation with the Shin Bet and with the support of the Judea and Samaria Border Police and the IDF, the police said. 

During the operation, several vehicles were seized, several illegal outposts were dismantled, and the suspects were taken for questioning. The police said in a statement that “items were seized in the suspects' possession that link them to the alleged acts.” 

The arrests follow a series of violent incidents targeting Palestinian farmers engaged in the annual olive harvest in Judea and Samaria. The time of the olive harvests have been a frequent period of skirmishes between Jewish settler activists and Palestinians over the years. 

The attempts by Jewish settler activists to prevent olive harvesting has often required an IDF presence to protect Palestinians harvesting in olive groves attached to their villages.  

Recently, Religious Zionism rabbi Dov Lior issued a halachic (Jewish religious) ruling that Jews can harvest the olives of Palestinians, writing, “Moreover, Jews are permitted to harvest the olives even in areas far from the Jewish settlements, in order to publicly reveal our ownership of the land and thereby fulfill the mitzvah [command] of conquering the land.” 

IDF officials have said that such rulings are likely to increase the number of violent confrontations between Jewish settler activists and Palestinians. 

U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who condemned the attack on journalist Heidi Levine, praised the news of the arrests, calling it “a very positive development.” 

A very positive development in finding & punishing those who severely attacked and beat Heidi Levine an unarmed journalist with @wapo

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) October 19, 2026

Huckabee had previously called the attack on Levine a “vicious and cowardly act.” 

The two incidents drew international condemnation, and calls to prosecute those involved.

According to a report in Walla News, the IDF, the Border Police, and the Israel Police have recently increased operations against illegal outposts in Judea and Samaria, with an average of seven to ten outposts being evacuated every week. 

However, a senior security official criticized the handling of Jewish suspects involved in such violent incidents. 

“Outposts are being evacuated all the time. People are being arrested all the time. The question is: what happens to them afterward?” he asked. 

The official also noted that the incidents this weekend took place in Area B, where olive harvesting by Palestinians does not require coordination with the IDF, as it is also under Palestinian jurisdiction. 

Several government entities operate in Judea and Samaria, with distinct authorities and areas of responsibility. Israel Police are tasked with investigating violent incidents, identifying those involved, and bringing charges against them. 

The IDF has the responsibility to prevent such incidents from happening, through the demolition of illegal outposts, and from preventing the settler activists from entering areas where they do not belong. 

A report in the Times of Israel indicated that an IDF operations room received reports about settler activists harassing people as early as 13:30 in the afternoon, but failed to notify nearby troops, who consequently did not respond for several hours. 

Protective presence activists have frequently claimed that the IDF often arrives only after such incidents are over, even when troops are in the vicinity. In other incidents, IDF soldiers have been recorded standing around, without interfering, while settler activists harass Palestinians on their own properties. 

Following the recent incidents, the police said they are formulating an action plan to address the violent incidents in the region, with the aim of strengthening enforcement and preventing their recurrence. 

At the same time, Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Danny Levy, stated, “The law in Judea and Samaria applies to everyone, regardless of identity.” 

The Police statement also called attention to the issue of jurisdiction and responsibility for preventing violent incidents. 

“A distinction must be made between the responsibility for preventing an incident in a given area and the responsibility for investigating an offense after it has occurred,” the police statement said. “The division of responsibility is determined by law, the specific territory, and the mandates assigned to each entity. As the sovereign authority, the IDF bears legal responsibility for preventing extreme acts of violence and for enforcing law and order in Areas A and B, as well as in Area C—outside of the Israeli communities, where the Israel Police holds jurisdiction. Furthermore, the Israel Police bears the professional responsibility for conducting investigations and prosecuting offenders.”