Israeli settlers continue pogrom amid olive harvest in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers attack Palestinians during olive harvest in occupied West Bank

The full report

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians across the occupied West Bank in a coordinated movement to disrupt the annual olive harvest, burning cars and trees and injuring Palestinians and a Washington Post photographer.

Masked settlers wielding clubs and other weapons attacked people attempting to harvest their olives in West Bank towns on Friday. Palestinian authorities said they recorded attacks in eight villages, and injuries among at least 20 people.

The Israeli Foreign Press Association said in a statement: 'This is the latest in a long line of violent attacks by Israeli settlers against journalists and other civilians in the occupied West Bank. Yet our repeated calls for action to confront this lawlessness have been ignored by Israeli authorities.'

Among those injured was the Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who was beaten by settlers in an attack that lasted more than 10 minutes, according to witnesses. Settlers stole her passport, phone, wallet and equipment.

There has been a surge of settler violence against Palestinians over the past month. Settlers have carried out at least 170 attacks since 27 September, around the start of the annual olive harvest, according to Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group.

Every year, settlers attack Palestinians trying to harvest their olives, but there has been a rise in violence this year as Israel's elections approach at the end of October. At least four Palestinians had been killed and more than 100 others injured over the past month, Palestinian authorities said.