They kicked her and stole her passport.. 50 Israeli settlers attacked an American photographer in a shocking attack in the West Bank.
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An American photojournalist working for the Washington Post newspaper was attacked by Israeli settlers on Friday while covering ongoing violence targeting Palestinian olive farmers in the occupied West Bank.
Photojournalist Heidi Levin was transferred to a hospital in Ramallah following the attack, while photos taken by Agence France-Presse showed that she was lying on a stretcher and appeared to have injuries to her leg and hand.
This incident comes ten days after Agence France-Presse photographer Jaafar Shtayyeh was beaten by settlers while covering the olive harvest season in the West Bank, which also required his transfer to the hospital to receive treatment.
A Washington Post photographer recounts the details of her assault by settlers in the West Bank: They kicked me about 50 times and I survived thanks to my helmet and protective jacket https://t.co/KY8Sm65N2G
From her hospital bed, Levin told reporters that more than 50 masked settlers carrying sticks suddenly attacked her while she was working near the Palestinian villages of Turmus Ayya and Abu Falah in the center of the occupied West Bank.
She added, "Suddenly they attacked me, and fortunately I was wearing my helmet and bulletproof armor, and I stayed glued to the ground to try to protect my face."
"They kept kicking me over and over again," she added.
The Washington Post reported that Levine was wearing a bulletproof vest with the word “Press” clearly written on the front and back.
A spokesman for the US Embassy in Jerusalem said he was aware of the reports of the attack, but declined to comment further due to privacy laws.
He added, "We have no more important responsibility than protecting American citizens."
Agence France-Presse did not witness the moment of the attack, but one of its journalists in Turmus Ayya saw Palestinian paramedics providing aid to a person who was lying on the ground, and said that Israeli soldiers pushed away the journalists who tried to approach.
The Israeli army said that army and border guard forces were deployed in the area "following a report of a violent confrontation."
"Members of foreign media were present at the scene, and a female journalist was injured during the confrontation," he added, adding that the circumstances of the incident would be subject to investigation.
The Foreign Press Association, which represents international media in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said settlers stole Levine's passport, phone, wallet and equipment.
The association added, "This latest attack is part of a long series of violent attacks committed by Israeli settlers against journalists and other civilians in the occupied West Bank."
She continued, "Despite our repeated calls to take measures to address this chaos, the Israeli authorities have ignored them."
In recent months, the West Bank has witnessed an escalation in violence, with almost daily attacks, theft or vandalism carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, or the seizure of olive groves.
Excluding East Jerusalem, about three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, along with more than 500,000 Israelis residing in settlements considered illegal under international law.
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