1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Masked Israeli settlers attacked an NBC News team and 51-year-old Palestinian woman Aida Ahmed Abdullah on August 29, 2026, in the West Bank village of Jalud. Armed with sticks and rocks, attackers beat international correspondent Matt Bradley twice on the arm, struck cameraman Khaldoon Eid, producer Lawahez Jabari, and severely injured Abdullah, who was knocked unconscious. The team was interviewing Abdullah about her family being driven from their home by settlers. This assault on journalists fulfills the pattern documented throughout this conflict: silencing those who document Israeli violence against Palestinians. Simultaneously, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that flying kites in Gaza constitutes "an act of war in every sense," instructing the IDF to respond "immediately and forcefully." This week alone, Israeli strikes killed at least four Palestinian children simply for flying kites: 4-year-olds Hassan al-Hafi and Muhammad Abdel Salam Taha, 10-year-old Amal Nash'at Abu Khater, and 14-year-old Islam Ahmed Ajouri. The Israeli military's own investigation found kites carried no explosives or dangerous material—yet children are being slaughtered for seeking the most basic childhood joy. Congress must demand accountability for attacks on journalists and the targeting of children.