The settlers, who were armed with bottles and slingshots, “kicked me for about ten minutes while I tried to hold on to my cameras and my bag,” Levine said in a statement, according to AFP.
Levine, who was wearing a helmet and a protective vest, believes the equipment saved her from more serious injuries.
In an unusually strong statement, the US State Department condemned “criminal activities by either party in the West Bank” and demanded that those responsible be held accountable.
The Washington Post and the Foreign Press Association (FPA) also called on Israel to “bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Violence in the West Bank has increased sharply since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since then, more than 1,100 Palestinians in the area have been killed by Israeli settlers or forces.
