American journalist Heidi Levine, who reports for The Washington Post, was injured on Friday, 16 October 2026, when settler militias attacked her as she covered the olive harvest in the village of Abu Falah, north-east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. She was taken to hospital for treatment.
In the neighbouring village of Burqa, a second foreign journalist was injured in the settler attacks. Their identity, nationality and the extent of their injuries have not yet been made public.
What they were there to document
The attacks on the journalists came amid settler attacks on olive harvesters in both villages, in which at least five Palestinians were also injured. Settlers set fire to olive trees in Abu Falah and neighbouring Turmusayya amid heavy gunfire around the villages: exactly what the two journalists were in the fields to record.
The camera under attack
This attack does not stand alone. Only days ago, settlers beat a photographer working for an international news agency in the West Bank so badly that he was taken to hospital, while he documented their attacks on olive farmers. In July, settlers attacked crews from international broadcasters in the nearby village of Sinjil.
The pattern is the same every time: when the camera is there, the journalist becomes the target, because the picture is the evidence. Every harvest season brings attacks on farmers, and with them attacks on those who document them.
Our position
Global Press Shield condemns the attacks on Heidi Levine and the second foreign journalist in Abu Falah and Burqa, wishes them a swift recovery, and affirms that:
- a journalist covering the olive harvest is doing protected professional work, whatever their nationality;
- impunity is what keeps these attacks coming: every assault on a journalist must be seriously investigated and those responsible held to account;
- protecting local and foreign journalists in the West Bank cannot wait, above all during the harvest seasons when attacks escalate.
We invite any journalist attacked while covering the olive harvest to contact us so we can document what happened and offer support: help@gpshield.org.