Probe Into West Bank Settler Attacks: Israeli Police Arrest 10 People After US Journalist, Diplomats Targeted

Ten suspects taken into custody

Police said a pre-dawn operation led to the arrests of 10 people suspected of involvement in violent acts, breaching a closed military zone order and illegal construction. They were detained for questioning, but police did not name them.

Israel's Army Radio reported that the suspects were Israeli citizens. Police, military forces and the Shin Bet domestic security service were involved in the operation.

Two attacks over the weekend

On Saturday, masked settlers attacked French, Belgian and Polish diplomats and a French mayor in a part of the West Bank. A Belgian diplomatic vehicle was damaged during the incident.

A separate attack targeted Washington Post photojournalist Levine on Friday, when masked settlers arrived at a Palestinian olive harvest. Some attackers were armed, and some threw stones using slingshots, according to the report.

Calls for action and responses

The United States, Israel's closest ally, called for a crackdown on settler violence and for those responsible for the attack on the journalist to be arrested. France, Belgium and Poland also urged Israel to act after their diplomats were attacked.

Disputed account of the incidents

Saar said the diplomats had entered a sensitive area with a history of confrontations without coordinating with the military. He also said the facts surrounding the attack on Levine were unclear.

Levine said masked men wearing tzitzit tassels attacked her. President Isaac Herzog apologised and said the violent rioters did not represent Israel's values.