Skip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.Join todayAlready a member? Log inStuti MishraSaturday 17 October 2026 08:59 BSTAmerican freelance photojournalist Heidi Levine is transferred on a stretcher into a Palestinian ambulance from the government hospital in the Israeli-occupied city of Ramallah before she is handed over to an Israeli ambulance at a checkpoint for onward transport to a hospital in Tel Aviv (AFP/Getty)The Washington Post has rejected Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assertion that the circumstances surrounding an attack on photojournalist Heidi Levine are unclear.Executive editor Matt Murray confirmed that Levine was clearly marked as press and was indisputably beaten by masked settlers near Abu Falah in the occupied West Bank.Speaking from hospital, Levine explained that her flak jacket and helmet likely saved her life as she was repeatedly kicked and robbed of her camera equipment.Netanyahu condemned the violence and stated an investigation is under way, whilst claiming reports suggested a confrontation between Arab activists and Israeli youths.The assault comes amid record levels of settler violence during the olive harvest, with rights groups documenting hundreds of attacks across the region.In fullWashington Post hits back at Netanyahu’s account of attack on journalistMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in