Masked Israeli settlers attack an NBC News crew and a Palestinian woman in Jalud, occupied West Bank. Photo: NBC News
West Bank: Masked Israeli settlers attacked and injured members of an NBC News crew and a Palestinian woman in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, August 29, amid a surge in settler violence affecting nearby Palestinian communities.
The attack took place in Jalud, a village south of Nablus, where the crew was interviewing 51-year-old Aida Ahmed Abdullah about her family’s displacement following repeated settler violence.
Video of the attack, captured during the incident, has since gone viral on social media. Footage showed a grey vehicle with Israeli number plates reversing towards the group as they walked near Abdullah’s home. At least four masked men then got out and attacked Abdullah and the journalists with sticks and rocks before fleeing.
According to NBC News, international correspondent Matt Bradley was struck twice in the arm and later received treatment at a nearby clinic. A cameraman and producer were also injured, while camera equipment and one of the crew’s vehicles were damaged.
Abdullah was taken for medical treatment by the Palestinian Red Crescent. Her injuries were described as non-life-threatening, although her husband, Mahmoud Toubasi, said she remained in hospital on Saturday night.
The attack came as tensions continued in nearby Qusra, where reports said masked settlers had attacked Palestinian homes and surrounded a house with residents inside.
Earlier this month, settlers began surrounding homes in the village, restricting residents’ access to essential daily supplies and prompting local and international condemnation. Weeks later, Israeli forces remain active in the area, while settlers continue expanding their presence across the surrounding hills.
Five Palestinian women in Qusra said they had been unable to leave their homes for 21 days because of settlers in the area, appealing to international organisations and local authorities for protection and access to medicine
Reports and videos also emerged on Saturday that an British activist Finn Joughin had been detained in Masafer Yatta in the southern West Bank while accompanying Palestinians. Details surrounding the reported detention, including the activist’s whereabouts, were not immediately clear.
In a statement posted on Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces said soldiers and Israel Border Police officers had responded to violent clashes in Qusra, where it said dozens of Israeli rioters had barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home and thrown stones at Palestinians and other civilians.
The forces initially moved to remove the rioters and separate the groups, the IDF said. It added that the rioters’ vehicles were confiscated and evidence was handed to the Israel Police for investigation. Security forces remained active in Qusra and Jalud to restore order.
“We strongly condemn all forms of violence,” the IDF said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned what he described as “criminal acts of violence” in Qusra and Jalud, saying those responsible harmed Israel’s standing and hindered security forces. He called for the perpetrators to be apprehended and brought to justice.
Israeli settlers have for years carried out violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, often with little or no legal repercussions.
Around three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, alongside an estimated 500,000 Israeli settlers, excluding more than 200,000 settlers living in East Jerusalem.
According to AFP statistics based on Palestinian Authority data, at least 1,103 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers since the October 7, 2023 attack. Official Israeli figures show that at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and military personnel, were killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations during the same period.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war.
This post was last modified on August 30, 2026 12:31 pm