Israeli police announced that Jewish settler suspects have been arrested for successively attacking a U.S. photojournalist and European diplomats who were covering the olive harvest in the West Bank.

Police stated that in a joint operation with military authorities and the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency at dawn on the 19th local time, 10 Jewish settlement residents were apprehended on charges including participation in violence, violation of a military-controlled zone, and illegal construction.

Local radio broadcasts reported that all the detained suspects are Israeli citizens.

It is known that cases of settlers being indicted on charges of violence are extremely rare in Israel.

A video released by the police shows at least one suspect wearing tzitzit, traditional Jewish garments, alongside slingshots used for throwing stones found at the scene.

When a journalist covering the Palestinian olive harvest was attacked on the 16th, dozens of masked settlers gathered, and some of them fired stones using slingshots.

The journalist, who suffered indiscriminate assault, was transported to a hospital and underwent hand surgery.

The following day, on the 17th, a party of French, Belgian, and Polish diplomats was attacked by masked settlers in another area of the West Bank, resulting in the damage of a Belgian diplomatic vehicle.

Israeli Police Commissioner Daniel Levy emphasized in a statement, "The law applies to everyone, regardless of affiliation or identity," adding, "We are committed to fair and equal law enforcement based on evidence."

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and military authorities also condemned the attackers of the diplomats, calling them "rioters."

On the other hand, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces the threat of his ruling coalition losing its parliamentary majority ahead of the elections on the 27th, took a somewhat reserved stance.

Netanyahu pointed out that "the diplomats entered sensitive areas prone to clashes without prior coordination with the military," and also drew a line regarding the journalist assault by stating that "the facts remain unclear."

This contrasts with the actions of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who immediately expressed apologies right after the incident, stating, "Brutal rioters do not represent Israeli values."

According to the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din, settler attacks targeting Palestinians have surged to at least 170 cases since September 27, and attacks against journalists, activists, and foreigners observing the sites are also continuing.

(Photo: AFP, Yonhap News)