Israel arrests ten settlers after attacks on French mayor, US photographer
Israeli settlers beat a French mayor visiting the West Bank with European diplomats and seriously injured a US photojournalist days earlier.
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Israeli police said on Monday they had arrested ten people suspected of involvement in settler attacks on a French mayor and an American photojournalist in the occupied West Bank. Settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats on Saturday and beat Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, according to BFMTV.
A day earlier, settlers seriously injured Heidi Levine, an American photographer working for the Washington Post, in the occupied territory, BFMTV reported. Levine was taken to hospital with fractured vertebrae, according to Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel.
Israeli police said the ten suspects were arrested before dawn on Monday as part of an investigation carried out in co-ordination with the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service. "Ten suspects were arrested and taken in for questioning," police said in a statement reported by BFMTV, adding they would be referred to a court depending on the findings of the investigation. The statement did not explicitly confirm whether the suspects were Israeli settlers.
The European Union said it "firmly" condemned the attack on the diplomatic convoy. Israeli police chief Danny Levy said the law "applies to everyone, regardless of their identity or affiliation," and that police were committed to enforcing it "professionally, fairly and impartially, based on evidence," according to BFMTV.
Benjamin Netanyahu's office defended the settlers after the attacks on the journalist and diplomats, denouncing what it called a defamation campaign, BFMTV reported. Netanyahu's main electoral rival, former armed forces chief Gadi Eisenkot, denounced acts of "Jewish terrorism" carried out "under the auspices of the government."
Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has sharply intensified in recent months, with a renewed spike during the olive harvest, according to BFMTV. Around 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, considered illegal under international law, alongside about three million Palestinians. Attacks by settlers are rarely followed by prosecutions, Israeli and Palestinian NGOs say, which BFMTV reported fuels a sense of impunity.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Luxembourg Times, France 24 Israeli settlers beat Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, France, while he was visiting the West Bank with a convoy of European diplomats on Saturday.
- 1 outlet · Luxembourg Times A day earlier, settlers seriously injured US photojournalist Heidi Levine, who suffered fractured vertebrae.
- Official · Le Figaro, BFMTV Israeli police arrested ten suspects before dawn on Monday in an investigation run with the Shin Bet.
- 1 outlet · Luxembourg Times The EU condemned the attack on the diplomatic convoy; Netanyahu's office defended the settlers and denounced a "defamation campaign."
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Police did not explicitly confirm whether the ten suspects arrested are Israeli settlers.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The attacks struck at European officials and journalists directly, drawing a formal EU protest and exposing divisions inside Israel's own political establishment, with Netanyahu's chief electoral rival accusing the government of tolerating settler violence. The case comes as Netanyahu seeks re-election on 27 October at the head of a government that has backed West Bank settlement, and as rights groups say such attacks rarely lead to prosecutions.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Luxembourg Times: Israeli settlers attack European diplomats, beat French mayor
- France 24: Israeli settlers attack European diplomats, beat French mayor
- Le Figaro: Cisjordanie : la police israélienne annonce l’arrestation de dix colons, soupçonnés d’être impliqués dans une attaque contre un maire français
- BFMTV: Maire français agressé en Cisjordanie: la police israélienne annonce dix arrestations après l'attaque d'un convoi diplomatique européen par des colons
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Who was attacked?
- A French mayor, Bernard Baudoux, visiting the West Bank with European diplomats, and separately, US photojournalist Heidi Levine of the Washington Post.
- Has anyone been arrested?
- Yes. Israeli police arrested ten suspects on Monday as part of an investigation with the Shin Bet security service.
- How did Israeli officials respond?
- Netanyahu's office defended the settlers, calling criticism a defamation campaign, while his main electoral rival accused the government of tolerating settler violence.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.