Marco Rubio urges Israel to crack down on West Bank settler violence

What happened in the West Bank

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on the Israeli government to crack down on settler violence in the West Bank, following an attack that left an American photojournalist and Palestinian civilians injured.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday before departing on an official visit to India, Rubio said Washington remains deeply concerned by video footage showing individuals assaulting Heidi Levine, a photojournalist working for the Washington Post, alongside local Palestinians.

"We're very disturbed by those images and what we're seeing," Rubio said. "We've asked the Israelis and continue to ask them to crack down on that stuff."

Details of the assault

The violence took place on Friday when Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank. Levine was one of at least two people injured during the confrontation, which was recorded on video and widely shared across social media platforms.

The footage showed multiple assailants confronting and attacking the photojournalist as she worked in the area. Palestinian civilians present at the scene were also targeted in the assault.

US diplomacy and regional stability

Rubio made clear that President Donald Trump's administration does not want to see friction in the region and is pressing Israeli leadership to deter similar attacks in the future. The administration has repeatedly asked Israeli authorities to step up enforcement and prevent extremist groups from escalating tensions in the West Bank.

The Secretary of State's comments come as Washington maintains active engagement across the Middle East while pursuing broader strategic partnerships, including Rubio's scheduled bilateral meetings with senior officials in New Delhi.