Masked Israeli settlers attacked an NBC News crew and a Palestinian family in the West Bank village of Qusra on Saturday, an incident that has drawn condemnation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to NBC News, three crew members were interviewing Aida Ahmed Abdullah and her family when a car carrying masked men with sticks approached. The men then attacked the family and the news crew. International correspondent Matt Bradley reported that their car windshield was smashed, and crew members were hit with clubs. Abdullah was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and two NBC News staffers also required treatment.
"The settlers had sticks. I saw a gun, but they didn’t use the gun," producer Lawahez Jabari told NBC News Digital.
Netanyahu stated that the attack was carried out by a "handful of rioters" and that such actions "harm Israel's standing in the world." A spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office, Doron Spielman, called the incident a "grave injustice" that violates the law, endangers individuals, and interferes with security missions. Spielman vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice, stating, "We will not tolerate vigilantism of any kind."
Human rights groups have reported that settlers have been encircling homes in Qusra since August 9, which they describe as an attempt to seize privately owned Palestinian land. Reports indicate that these individuals have been seen in the presence of soldiers, who have not enforced orders barring Israelis from entering the area.