According to NBC, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a Palestinian woman and a NBC news team were attacked and injured by masked Jewish settlers on the 29th. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condemnation of the violent actions carried out by ‘a small group of thugs’.
It is reported that four members of the news team were interviewing local resident Aida Ahmed Abdullah and her family in a Palestinian village on the West Bank when the attack occurred.
As the team descended the hill towards her house, Abdullah told the media that their family had been driven out of their homes by Jewish settlers.
Suddenly, a car with Israeli license plates drove towards the crowd on the hill. At least four masked men jumped out of the car and beat them with sticks, while throwing stones at them.
During the attack, NBC news reporter Matt Bradley's arm was struck twice, and he received treatment at a nearby clinic. He recalled, "They jumped out to beat us, and then jumped back into their vehicles."
Jewish settlers attacked the media on the 29th. NBC News
After being attacked, 51-year-old Abdullah was taken to a medical facility by the Red Crescent Society. According to statements from the Israeli military and Israeli border police, her injuries were not life-threatening. Her husband, Mahmoud Tubasi, said that Abdullah's condition has improved, but she is still in the hospital on Saturday night.
Additionally, two members of the NBC News team – a camera operator and a producer – also sustained injuries and received treatment after the assault.
Producer Ravakhz Jabari described the events of the attack: The car rushed up the hill, and then the people inside got out and beat the media team, as well as damaging the camera equipment and one of the staff's vehicles.
She said, “Suddenly, a car approached us. The settlers were holding sticks, and I also saw a gun, but they didn’t shoot.”
Cameraman Harlden Ed said that the team did not expect to be attacked in the village.
Netanyahu and his spokesman Doron Spiller condemned the attack and several other violent incidents that occurred in the region.
These incidents included dozens of masked Israeli settlers spraying pepper spray on Palestinian workers and throwing stones at a building in Kusla.
The British newspaper The Guardian also reported that earlier this month, a group of Jewish settlers began blocking supplies from entering Palestinian homes and locking residents inside their homes. This action drew strong criticism from the U.S. ambassador.
The Israeli government has been accused of turning a blind eye to attacks by Jewish settlers. While condemning these "violent crimes," Netanyahu attributed them to "a small number of law-breakers" and stated that they have caused "great injustice" to the so-called "law-abiding" settlers, hindered the operation of the Israel Defense Forces, and damaged Israel's international standing.
