Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine.
Security forces searched the areas where the attacks took place, seized vehicles and collected evidence linking the suspects to the incidents, CNN reported.
The arrests were made under an operation named “Olive Leaf”, launched in coordination with the Israeli military, police said. “We are working to collect evidence, findings and testimonies and to consolidate an evidentiary infrastructure that will enable bringing those involved to justice,” Israeli police superintendent Moshe Pinchi said in a statement. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the violence and said a police investigation had been opened. The Israeli military separately condemned the attack and said soldiers had accompanied police and forensic investigators to collect evidence and record witness testimony. The arrests came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration had urged Israel to take action against settler violence in the West Bank. “We’ve asked the Israelis and continue to ask them to crack down on that stuff,” Rubio said on Saturday, according to CNN. Israeli soldiers were present during roughly a quarter of the attacks documented over the period, the group said.
He also noted that the diplomatic delegation’s visit had not been coordinated with the Israeli military in advance. He added that President Donald Trump did not want to see tensions escalate into a crisis in the territory.
The policy had previously been used against suspected settler extremists but was cancelled for Jewish Israelis nearly two years ago. Separately, Israel’s defence minister said on Monday that he would not reinstate administrative detention for Jewish Israelis, a measure that allows suspects to be held without charge or trial.