Israeli settlers attack Palestinians and burn olive trees in West Bank, BBC witnesses
About a dozen settlers torched trees and threw stones during the olive harvest; a Washington Post photographer was taken to hospital, and the UN reports record settler violence.
At a glance
- Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and burned about a dozen olive trees in the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest, the BBC reports.
- Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was taken to hospital after being at the scene; she said she was 'jumped' and kicked on the ground.
- The UN says the past two weeks saw more settler attacks than the entire harvest season last year, and that this year's violence is at an all-time high.
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and burned olive trees in the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest, in an incident witnessed by the BBC. About a dozen settlers dressed in black charged down a hill near an outpost — illegal under international law — toward a field where Palestinians and activists were gathering olives.
The settlers set fire to roughly a dozen trees and threw stones using slingshots, according to the BBC account. The BBC's Middle East Correspondent Lucy Williamson reported on the incident.
Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was at the scene and was taken to hospital. She later told reporters she "got jumped" and described being kicked while on the ground. The source did not provide further details about her condition or about injuries to Palestinians.
UN reports record violence
According to the United Nations, the past two weeks have already brought more attacks by violent Israeli settlers than the whole of last year's harvest season. The UN also says this year's level of settler violence is the highest on record. The attack is part of a broader surge in settler violence during this year's olive harvest, according to the UN.
The attack took place near an outpost, which the source notes is illegal under international law. The BBC report did not include information on arrests or other official responses. It also did not specify the exact location within the West Bank beyond the outpost, or whether any deaths occurred. The source also does not say whether the Palestinians harvesting olives were injured, and it did not identify the settlers involved.
Source: BBC World.
Questions and answers
- What happened during the olive harvest in the West Bank?
- The BBC witnessed about a dozen Israeli settlers, dressed in black, charge down a hill near an outpost and attack Palestinians and activists harvesting olives. They set fire to roughly a dozen trees and threw stones from slingshots.
- What did the UN say about settler violence this year?
- The UN says the past two weeks have already seen more attacks by violent Israeli settlers than during the entire harvest season last year. It also says this year's levels of settler violence have reached an all-time high.
- Was anyone injured in the attack?
- Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was taken to hospital after being at the scene. She told reporters she 'got jumped' and described being kicked on the ground. The source did not provide details about other injuries.
