Nine of 10 suspects arrested over violent attacks involving Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have been released from police custody and placed under house arrest, according to an Israeli law firm representing settlers.
The suspects were detained following separate incidents involving a US journalist and European diplomats during a period of heightened violence surrounding the Palestinian olive harvest.
Masked Israeli settlers were filmed attacking Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine last week while she was covering a Palestinian olive harvest in the West Bank. Levine was taken to hospital following the assault and later underwent surgery on a finger.
In a separate incident on Saturday, masked settlers reportedly attacked French, Belgian and Polish diplomats as well as a French mayor in another part of the West Bank.
The arrests came after the United States, Israel’s closest ally, called for authorities to take action against settler violence. France, Belgium and Poland also urged Israel to investigate the incidents.
The right wing legal group Honenu said late Wednesday that a Jerusalem court had ordered nine suspects to be released to house arrest. Israeli police separately confirmed that only one suspect remained in custody and said investigations into the incidents were continuing.
The cases have drawn attention because arrests linked to settler violence are considered relatively uncommon. Israeli rights groups have repeatedly criticised what they describe as a lack of accountability for attacks against Palestinians.
Yonatan Kanonich, head of research at Israeli rights group Yesh Din, said most attacks against Palestinians do not result in arrests and that suspects are often released quickly in cases that receive public attention.
The latest incidents come amid increased violence during this year’s Palestinian olive harvest. Yesh Din has documented 125 physical attacks against Palestinian olive harvesters during the first 24 days of the harvest season.
Reported incidents include stone throwing, physical assaults and shootings.
According to the Palestinian Authority, Israeli settlers have killed at least 30 Palestinians since the beginning of 2026.
The violence has added to international scrutiny of Israeli settlements and settler activity in the West Bank. The United Nations and most countries consider Israeli settlements in territory captured during the 1967 war illegal under international law. Israel disputes that interpretation and considers the territory subject to competing claims.
The issue remains particularly sensitive as Israel prepares for a parliamentary election next week, with international pressure growing on the government to address settler violence and protect Palestinians and foreign nationals operating in the West Bank.
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