Israeli settlers brutally assaulted Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine while she was covering an attack on Palestinian olive harvesters in the occupied West Bank, leaving her hospitalized with multiple fractures and other injuries, according to media reports.

Levine said the assailants knocked her to the ground and kicked her for more than 10 minutes despite her clearly marked press vest. She tried to protect her cameras and equipment during the assault, while her helmet and protective vest helped shield her from more serious injuries.

The attackers also stole her cameras and phone, The Washington Post reported.

The assault took place in Abu Falah, east of Ramallah, where around 80 masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian olive harvesters, setting fire to olive trees and throwing stones at Palestinians. Some of the assailants also used slingshots, according to reports from the scene.

A Reuters photographer witnessed an armed settler opening fire during the attack. The violence reportedly continued even after Israeli military vehicles arrived.

Journalists at the scene helped Levine when the settlers briefly moved away, before an ambulance crew transported her to hospital.

“She was in very, very bad shape. She couldn’t really get up off the ground,” journalist Jasper Nathaniel told Al Jazeera, describing Levine’s condition after the assault.

Nathaniel said Israeli soldiers arrived following the settler attack and fired tear gas towards Palestinians. He also alleged that soldiers shot a local Palestinian man in the leg, pointed their weapons at paramedics and shoved journalists.

An eyewitness told Al Jazeera and the Palestinian news agency WAFA that a Palestinian man had been shot in the thigh by Israeli soldiers.

The assault on Levine has prompted condemnation and renewed calls for those responsible to be held accountable.

The attack in Abu Falah was part of a wider wave of violence against Palestinian communities and olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank.

In Burqa, east of Ramallah, four Palestinians were reportedly injured in an attack by Israeli settlers targeting olive pickers.

In nearby Turmus Aya, settlers assaulted farmers and set fire to vehicles and olive trees. A civil defence volunteer was also injured, WAFA reported.

The incidents come amid weeks of intensifying attacks by extremist Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities, particularly during the olive harvest season. Palestinians and rights advocates have repeatedly raised concerns about the protection afforded to settlers living in illegal settlements and the failure to prevent attacks on local residents.

The violence threatens Palestinian farmers’ livelihoods, damages agricultural land and deepens insecurity for communities already living under Israeli occupation. (ILKHA)