Operation Olive Leaf Arrests Follow Diplomat Beatings
Israeli police and the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency launched Operation Olive Leaf, arresting 10 Israelis in raids near Ofra and Shiloh following coordinated attacks on foreign journalists and diplomats in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reported. The security sweep comes as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded more than 200 attacks on Palestinian farmers since September 1, surpassing the 185 incidents documented across the entire 2025 harvest season.
Clubs and Assaults Target Olive Harvesters
The escalating violence has left one Palestinian dead, more than 120 injured, and over 2,500 trees damaged across the West Bank. Settlers have stepped up actions under an ideological campaign described by participants as a land-assertion effort. On October 16 in Abu Falah, approximately 80 masked settlers armed with clubs attacked Palestinians picking olives, beating Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine for more than 10 minutes and stealing her equipment and passport. Israeli activist Jonathan Pollak reported that soldiers subsequently shot village council member Abdel Jaber Obeid in the thigh.
On the following Saturday, masked settlers attacked a visiting diplomatic delegation in Taybeh, east of Ramallah. The group included Belgium’s consul general, French and Polish diplomats, and church representatives. French mayor Bernard Baudoux, 78, was kicked and beaten during the assault, and a window of a Belgian consulate vehicle was smashed.
US and EU condemn attacks on officials
International backlash intensified following the attacks on foreign officials and press members. Washington was described as very disturbed by United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while Mike Huckabee, the US Ambassador, characterized Levine’s attack as a despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards. France demanded arrests, and the European Union stated it expected full accountability.
Domestically, Israel’s military characterized the Taybeh incident as severe. As reported by The Times of Israel, Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot characterized the violence as Jewish terror under the auspices of the government of Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a conditional statement regarding Levine’s assault, questioning who initiated the violence, and later equivocated on the Taybeh attack by noting that stronger evidence is required for serious accusations.
Widespread West Bank Incidents and Gaza Humanitarian Strains
Beyond the headline assaults on dignitaries and journalists, masked settlers—frequently operating alongside soldiers—targeted Palestinian shepherds, homes, and agricultural lands throughout the territory. Incidents included beatings in Beit Lid, injuries to American citizen Haytham Tayseer in Burqa, and six injuries in Masafer Yatta. In Turmus Aya, four vehicles and a civil defense vehicle were burned, while a mosque was set ablaze in Mikhmas. In Kafr Malek, approximately 20 sheep were stabbed to death and hundreds of olive trees were uprooted by bulldozers.
What triggered Operation Olive Leaf?
What triggered Operation Olive Leaf?
The operation was launched by Israeli police and Shin Bet following a series of violent attacks by masked settlers against foreign diplomats in Taybeh and foreign journalists, including photojournalist Heidi Levine, near Ramallah.
How many attacks on Palestinian farmers were recorded by the UN?
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded more than 200 attacks on Palestinian farmers since September 1, exceeding the 185 incidents documented during the entire 2025 harvest season.
What were the official international responses to the attacks on diplomats and journalists?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Washington very disturbed, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee labeled the assault on Heidi Levine an act of terror, France demanded arrests, and the European Union called for full accountability.
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