Washington DC - The US on Friday condemned "criminal violence by any party" in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli settlers attacked an American photojournalist covering violence against Palestinian olive farmers for The Washington Post.
Veteran photographer Heidi Levine was taken to hospital in Ramallah following the attack, with AFP photos showing her lying on a gurney with injuries to her leg and hand.
"We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and support appropriate investigations as well as legal accountability for those responsible," a State Department official said, on condition of anonymity, without directly criticizing the settlers.
"We are greatly concerned when any American is harmed overseas and stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance," the official said. "The Department has reached out to the Washington Post to offer consular assistance."
Speaking to journalists from her hospital bed, Levine said that "more than 50" masked settlers holding sticks suddenly attacked her while she was working near the Palestinian villages of Abu Falah and Turmus Ayya in the central West Bank.
"All of a sudden they jumped me, and I luckily had my helmet and flak jacket on and I... kept my face to the ground to try to protect my face," she said.
"They just kept kicking me and kicking me," she added.
The State Department official said that Washington was in "regular dialogue with partners about improving stability and security in the West Bank."
One of President Donald Trump's first moves upon returning to the White House in January 2025 was to lift sanctions targeting Israeli settlers, which had been imposed by his predecessor Joe Biden.
Violence has flared in recent months in the West Bank, with near-daily attacks, thefts, or vandalism by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
The Washington Post said Levine had been wearing a flak jacket clearly marked "Press."
"We are outraged by this unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job and urge a thorough investigation and follow-through from authorities," Matt Murray, the paper's executive editor, said in a statement.