Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was wounded during a Friday altercation between extremist settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank, with the IDF confirming the account later on Friday.
Footage seen by The Jerusalem Post appears to show Levine kneeling on a path in a press jacket and helmet, as colleagues run over to carry her to safety.
Police launched an investigation into the incident after receiving an IDF report of the West Bank clashes, according to an Israel Police spokesperson.
Palestinian media reported that Levine was beaten, sustaining fractures and cuts in the violence near Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah. Israeli sources have not independently verified this.
Levine, speaking from a hospital bed, said that she had been kicked "about 50 times," adding that if she hadn't been wearing her black jacket and helmet, she "probably wouldn't be here at all, because they just kept kicking me again and again.
"After about 10 minutes, they tried to make me get up; they pushed me back to the ground and continued kicking me," she said. "I tried to hold on to my cameras and my side bag, but in the end they just ripped everything from me and kept kicking me."
According to the IDF, soldiers initially fired warning shots into the air in an effort to disperse the crowd upon arriving on scene, eventually targeting an individual who approached them with a sharp object.
PMO: 'Serious questions remain,' facts 'unclear'
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) condemned the attack in an X/Twitter post later on Friday, noting that the facts "remain unclear and are under investigation."
"Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone - Jews, Arabs, Christians, or journalists," the statement read. "Those responsible will be held accountable."
The statement indicated that "serious questions remain" regarding who specifically was responsible for the attack on Levine, emphasizing the presence of "200 Arabs and far-left activists... (and) approximately 40 Israeli youths" at the site of the attack.
"The investigation must establish the facts, including who initiated the violence," the statement continued. "We will not allow disputed incidents to be exploited to demonize the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria. The facts must determine the conclusions. Not the headlines."
Washington Post editor-in-chief Matt Murray also condemned the incident in a statement earlier on Friday, according to N12 News, accusing Israeli settlers of having attacked Levine, whom he emphasized "was wearing prominent identification marks that clearly identified her as a journalist."
"We are appalled by this unjustified attack on a journalist who was doing her job," he said. "We call on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and act on its findings."
In addition, the US Embassy in Jerusalem told N12 that it is aware of the incident and is "monitoring the situation."
"We condemn criminal violence and call for the investigation and prosecution of those responsible," it said.
Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot also responded to the incident in a post on X/Twitter, calling it "unacceptable" and referring to the perpetrators as "violent lawbreakers."
"This handful of rioters does not represent the public in Israel. The actions of this handful stain an entire nation and severely harm the security of all Israeli citizens and IDF fighters," he said. "I back the IDF in its sharp and clear condemnation of the incident. It is incumbent upon the Israel Police to take harsh measures against this criminal violence."
Mateh Binyamin Regional Council accuses PA of bringing terrorists to attack Israelis
The Mateh Binyamin Regional Council provided a different course of events.
According to the council, the Palestinian Authority "led hundreds of anarchists and terrorists into a direct confrontation with Israelis near Abu Falah, all under the cover of the olive harvest."
"Footage from the scene shows terrorists launching fireworks directly at people and hurling stones at Israelis, while journalists stand behind them, documenting this deliberate provocation," the council said.
"The event was orchestrated by the PA; its patrol vehicles were present and highly visible at the scene, even though it is in Area B, where Israel holds responsibility for security," it added.
"Clashes broke out between Arabs and Israelis, eventually being dispersed by Border Police officers who arrived at the location. According to reports, several activists were injured during the confrontations," the council said.
The council did not explicitly comment on Levine's reported wounds.
The event was part of four incidents of nationalist-motivated violence and clashes between Israelis and Palestinians which were reported overnight and on Friday morning at several locations across the West Bank, including several olive groves.
The incidents reportedly involved vehicles being set on fire, attacks on Palestinian olive harvesters, and attacks on Palestinian homes.
In the village of Burin, a confrontation broke out during the olive harvest. Additional incidents were reported in the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah, and in Turmus Ayya. The incidents reportedly included at least four vehicles being set on fire, one of which was a civil defense vehicle, and attacks on Palestinian olive harvesters.
In a separate incident, shortly before midnight, settlers reportedly attacked Palestinian homes in the Wadi al-Sheikh area of the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that two wounded Palestinians, a 63-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man, had been treated and taken to the hospital. Another Palestinian was reportedly shot in the knee.
Israel Police, Shin Bet launch manhunt for armed man in military uniform
Israeli security forces are working to chase down a possibly armed man in an olive grove near Kafr Kara, Israel Police announced earlier on Friday.
The man is reportedly wearing a military uniform and carrying a rifle.
Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), Israel Police (including aerial forces), Border Police, and emergency response squad volunteers are among the security forces conducting the manhunt.