The Israeli authorities reported this Monday the detention of ten people for their alleged involvement in the recent attacks carried out by settlers in the West Bank, incidents that left numerous injured, including a journalist from the American newspaper "The Washington Post" and several European diplomats.
In a statement released on social media, the Israeli Police explained that the arrests were made early in the day in connection with the "violent incidents" recorded in recent days, "including the assault on a foreign journalist and the alleged attack on diplomats in Taibé."
The police force emphasized that this operation is "part of the investigations" opened for these episodes, and added that the purpose was "to locate suspects involved in the recent acts of violence, as well as individuals who violated military orders, such as the prohibition of entering areas declared as 'closed military zones'."
The police commissioner, Danny Levy, stressed that "the law in Judea and Samaria --the biblical name for the West Bank that Israeli authorities use to refer to this Palestinian territory-- applies to everyone, regardless of their identity or affiliation," in response to criticism over the alleged passivity of Israeli authorities in the face of settler assaults.
In the same vein, he stated that "the Israel Police is committed to law enforcement in a professional, fair, and impartial manner, based on evidence and in accordance with current regulations," and defended the need to "distinguish between the responsibility to prevent incidents on the ground and the responsibility to investigate and enforce the law once such incidents have occurred."
Levy concluded by assuring: "We will continue to act in coordination with all security agencies to reinforce security and the rule of law, ensuring that anyone who has violated the law is brought to justice."
The first attack occurred on Friday, when several Palestinians and journalist Heidi Levine were injured during the olive harvest campaign in Abú Falá, following an assault by settlers. One day later, on Saturday, another group of settlers attacked European diplomats traveling in a convoy of several vehicles near Taibé, a predominantly Christian town located east of Ramallah.
These incidents are framed in a context of increased assaults by settlers and incursions by the Israeli Army in the West Bank following the attacks of October 7, 2023. However, in the months prior to that same year, the highest number of Palestinians killed since the Second Intifada, which occurred two decades ago, had already been recorded in the West Bank.