US photographer hospitalised with broken vertebrae, passport stolen in West Bank attack

The United States ambassador, Mike Huckabee, has demanded that Israel prosecute and jail those responsible for an attack on an American photographer in a West Bank village, calling the assault an act of terror. Heidi Levine was hospitalised with broken vertebrae after the incident on 16 October 2026 and was listed on Saturday as being in moderate condition.

Key facts

• Who was attacked: Heidi Levine, an American freelance photojournalist described as a veteran photographer and a Washington Post journalist
• Where and when: the Palestinian village of Abu Falah on 16 October 2026
• What happened: witnesses said settlers beat her and took her passport, telephone, wallet and equipment
• Injuries: broken vertebrae; listed in moderate condition on Saturday
• US position: Ambassador Mike Huckabee called for a full investigation, arrest and prosecution

What happened?

Levine had been photographing Palestinian farmers harvesting olives, an annual harvest that the source says has been repeatedly disrupted by Israeli settlers. Witnesses said settlers beat her and stole her passport, telephone, wallet and equipment.

She was moved by stretcher into a Palestinian ambulance from the government hospital in Ramallah, the source's photo caption states, then handed to an Israeli ambulance at a checkpoint for onward transport to a hospital in Tel Aviv.

What have US officials said?

Huckabee, described as a staunch ally of Israel who has nonetheless sharply criticised settler attacks against Americans, wrote on X that the assault was a "despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards". He said details of who was under investigation were not settled, but that those who attacked the unarmed reporter should spend years in prison.

He said the United States had called for a full investigation, arrest and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law of everyone who participated. His tone was described as far stronger than an earlier statement from Washington; on Friday the US State Department said it condemns criminal violence by any party.

What is disputed?

Huckabee did not identify the culprits as settlers, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to cast doubt on their identity. On Friday, Netanyahu insisted that Palestinians or far-left activists may have been responsible, according to the source, which notes he is seeking to shore up his pro-settlement right-wing base ahead of close-fought elections on 27 October.

What this means for travellers

The incident involved a foreign national attacked in a West Bank village during the olive harvest, with witnesses reporting that her passport, phone, wallet and equipment were taken. Visitors to the West Bank should keep their documents secure and follow any guidance issued by their own government.

No arrests have been announced in the source. Huckabee has called for arrest and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, and the case is under investigation.