Russian Activist Says Settlers Stole Gear and Battered US Reporter in West Bank

A Russian activist reported on October 29 that armed Israeli settlers assaulted her and two colleagues in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair. The incident occurred in the Masafer Yatta area of the occupied West Bank. Shoko detailed the events through social media posts, stating that the group was targeted while in the village.

According to Shoko, the attackers included armed settlers who beat and threatened the trio. The group consisted of Shoko, US journalist Jasper Nathaniel, and Israeli-Russian activist Andrey X. Shoko said the assailants stole equipment and personal items during the confrontation. A video posted by Shoko shows men beating Nathaniel and X on camera.

Nathaniel, who works for the Washington Post, was pepper-sprayed and taken into custody by Israeli forces. He shouted that he had just been beaten while being led away. Shoko described the physical impact on her colleague as immediate and severe. The detention followed the initial physical assault on the ground.

Andrey X suffered a concussion and lost consciousness multiple times during the encounter. Shoko stated that this happened in front of police officers who were present. Despite his condition, authorities denied him immediate hospital treatment. He was placed in an ambulance but driven to a police station instead of a medical facility.

The assault follows a similar incident on October 16 in Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah. Masked settlers attacked Palestinian farmers harvesting olives, setting trees on fire and using slingshots. Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was covering that event when she was beaten, robbed, and hospitalized. A Palestinian man was also shot in the leg after soldiers fired live ammunition and tear gas.

Levine reported that settlers kicked and beat her while she lay on the ground wearing a protective vest marked PRESS. They stole her passport, phone, and camera equipment. Matt Murray, Executive Editor of the Washington Post, called the incident an unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job. Several US lawmakers have since called for an investigation into the violence.

Shoko and Nathaniel are currently in contact with their respective organizations regarding the incident. The location of Umm al-Khair is part of a region where settler and military activity has increased in recent weeks. Local residents report frequent visits by armed groups to the area.