Israel releases suspects in West Bank settler attacks

An Israeli court in Jerusalem has ordered the release of nine out of ten Israeli settler suspects arrested for attacks in the occupied West Bank. The suspects, who have been placed under house arrest, were detained following violent incidents involving a US journalist and several European diplomats.

One of the incidents involved masked settlers assaulting Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine during an olive harvest, resulting in her requiring surgery. A separate attack targeted French, Belgian, and Polish diplomats, as well as a French mayor.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory as ‘out of control,’ noting that journalists and diplomats are facing increasing attacks. While the United States, France, Belgium, and Poland have called for crackdowns on settler violence, rights groups such as Yesh Din have criticized the tendency to release suspects shortly after arrest.