US State Department Condemns West Bank Violence After Journalist Attack on Heidi Levine

The US State Department said on Friday it was “greatly concerned” after Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was assaulted while covering the Palestinian olive harvest in the village of Abu Falah near Ramallah, according to Anadolu.

“The Department of State is aware of these reports. We are greatly concerned when any American is harmed overseas and stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance,” a State Department spokesman said in an emailed statement to Anadolu Agency.

“The Department has reached out to the Washington Post to offer consular assistance,” the spokesman added.

The department emphasized that the safety and security of Americans is a top priority for the Trump administration and noted that Washington remains in regular dialogue with partners to improve stability and security in the West Bank.

“We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and support appropriate investigations as well as legal accountability for those responsible,” the spokesman said.

Levine was “badly beaten” while covering the harvest and was taken to Ramallah Government Hospital, where she remained in stable condition. The Washington Post reported that she was wearing “visible markings clearly identifying her as a journalist” and called for “a thorough investigation and follow‑through from authorities.”

Israel Police have opened an investigation, and the Israeli army said it would examine “all circumstances” surrounding the incident.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) described the attack as “the latest in a long line of violent attacks by Israeli settlers against journalists and other civilians in the occupied West Bank.”

Levine was one of two foreign journalists injured in the broader assaults across the Ramallah and Al‑Bireh governorate, which also left at least 12 Palestinians wounded—many of them farmers harvesting olives—according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the Civil Defense, and Al‑Baydar.

The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported documenting at least 136 attacks linked to the olive harvest season by Israeli forces and settlers since the beginning of October.

The olive harvest provides a critical source of income for thousands of Palestinian families in the West Bank, where farmers increasingly confront attacks and restrictions on access to their land during the season.

Since the start of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, attacks by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians and their property across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have intensified.

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