Activists report settler assault in West Bank village

Tensions have risen in the occupied West Bank following reports of a new physical confrontation between activists and Israeli settlers. Russian activist Adele Shoko stated that she, US journalist Jasper Nathaniel, and Israeli-Russian activist Andrey X were attacked in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, located in the Masafer Yatta area.

Shoko shared details of the incident through posts on the social media platform X. She described the group being beaten and threatened by armed settlers, who also took equipment and personal belongings. Shoko noted that Nathaniel was pepper-sprayed and subsequently arrested by Israeli forces. In the footage she uploaded, several men, some holding weapons, are seen striking Nathaniel and X. A separate video clip shows Israeli authorities leading Nathaniel away while he shouts that he was just beaten.

The activist reported that Andrey X suffered a concussion and lost consciousness multiple times during the assault. She said the incident occurred in the presence of police, yet X was denied immediate hospital treatment. According to Shoko, X was placed in an ambulance but transported to a police station instead of a medical facility, where he remained under arrest without medical care.

This event follows a violent clash on October 16 in the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah. Masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers harvesting olives, setting trees on fire and firing stones from slingshots. During that incident, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was beaten, robbed, and hospitalized.

Levine stated that she was wearing a protective vest marked PRESS when settlers kicked and hit her while she was on the ground. They stole her passport, phone, and camera equipment. A Palestinian man was also shot in the leg after Israeli soldiers arrived and deployed live ammunition and tear gas. Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray criticized the incident as an unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job. Several US lawmakers have called for an investigation into the violence.

The next scheduled step in the process involves the ongoing detention of the activists and the pending review by Israeli authorities. The group remains in custody following the reported theft of their belongings and the physical injuries sustained during the confrontation.