Masked settlers attack an olive harvest in the West Bank, injuring Palestinians and an American photographer
The story
Dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians picking olives near the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on Friday. Witnesses said the attackers set groves on fire and threw rocks at the people working in them.
Palestinian medics said at least two people were hurt and taken to hospitals around Ramallah. One of them was Heidi Levine, a veteran American photojournalist who was covering the harvest. She was wearing a vest clearly marked as press when she was knocked to the ground, kicked and stripped of her cameras and phone. She was treated for cuts and a broken rib.
Reports put the number of attackers at around 80. Earlier the same morning, settlers burned three cars after going after farmers harvesting olives near Turmus Ayya, another village in the area.
The Israeli military said troops and Border Police were sent to Abu Falah and broke up the confrontation using crowd control measures. The army and police said they were investigating and that they treat violence against journalists very seriously. Levine's editor called for a thorough investigation.
The autumn olive harvest matters a great deal to many Palestinian families, and attacks on farmers trying to reach their trees have been rising as this year's season gets going.
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