Washington Post hits back at Netanyahu's account of West Bank attack that left its photographer hospitalised

Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray has publicly challenged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's account of events after photojournalist Heidi Levine, 64, was beaten by masked Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Levine, who wore a vest clearly marked 'PRESS', was brought to the ground, kicked approximately 50 times by her own count, stripped of her cameras, phone and passport, and hospitalised in Ramallah. The assault occurred as dozens of settlers targeted Palestinian villagers near Abu Falah during the annual olive harvest, burning trees and cars and injuring at least 12 people. Murray wrote: 'To be clear: some facts are neither in dispute nor unclear.'

Netanyahu described the incident as under investigation and said 'serious questions remain', claiming 200 Arabs and 'far-left activists' were involved.

Israeli troops were present before the assault began but reportedly did nothing to stop the settlers, according to blogger Andrey Khrzhanovskiy, who filmed the attack.

The Israeli Foreign Press Association said repeated calls for action to stop settler attacks on journalists 'have been ignored by Israeli authorities'.