Israeli settlers assault Oscar-winning filmmaker, co-director reports
Hamdan Ballal’s documentary *No Other Land* depicts the destruction of the Palestinian community in the West Bank. The Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary *No Other Land* has been detained by Israeli police following an...
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Hamdan Ballal’s documentary *No Other Land* depicts the destruction of the Palestinian community in the West Bank.
The Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary *No Other Land* has been detained by Israeli police following an incident where he was assaulted by a group of settlers in the West Bank, according to eyewitness accounts and comments from a fellow filmmaker.
The film, which won the 2024 Best Documentary Feature award, highlights the devastation faced by a Palestinian community in a territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist and co-director of the film, reported that Hamdan Ballal had been beaten by a mob and subsequently detained. He stated, “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal… He has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since,” in a post on X on Monday.
Later, he clarified that by “lynched," he meant that Ballal was assaulted, but not killed. He added that Ballal is currently being held at a police station and that there has been no access for his lawyer.
The Guardian cited that the incident occurred in Susya, a village located south of Hebron. Five Jewish American activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence informed the publication that approximately 15 armed settlers surrounded and attacked Ballal. “They started throwing stones towards Palestinians and destroyed a water tank near Hamdan’s house,” recounted one witness who requested anonymity.
Abraham also shared a brief clip reportedly from Ballal’s car dashcam, which featured a group of masked individuals—some armed with sticks—running towards the vehicle at night, with one person throwing a rock at the windshield. Another video circulating on social media depicted what seemed to be a brief confrontation between Ballal's team and the settlers.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the clash, though they did not disclose the identities of those involved. They stated, “Several terrorists hurled rocks at Israeli citizens, damaging their vehicles near Susya. Following this, a violent confrontation broke out, involving mutual rock-hurling between Palestinians and Israelis."
The IDF also reported that their forces apprehended three Palestinians suspected of throwing rocks, along with an Israeli civilian involved in the violent altercation. Their statement appeared to indirectly counter Abraham’s details regarding Ballal’s arrest, asserting that “no Palestinian was apprehended from inside an ambulance.”
This incident reflects ongoing tensions in the West Bank between Palestinian residents and Israeli settlers. Over recent years, the Israeli judiciary has frequently approved orders for the forced eviction of Palestinians, impacting hundreds. Clashes have intensified since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
The Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary *No Other Land* has been detained by Israeli police following an incident where he was assaulted by a group of settlers in the West Bank, according to eyewitness accounts and comments from a fellow filmmaker.
The film, which won the 2024 Best Documentary Feature award, highlights the devastation faced by a Palestinian community in a territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist and co-director of the film, reported that Hamdan Ballal had been beaten by a mob and subsequently detained. He stated, “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal… He has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since,” in a post on X on Monday.
Later, he clarified that by “lynched," he meant that Ballal was assaulted, but not killed. He added that Ballal is currently being held at a police station and that there has been no access for his lawyer.
The Guardian cited that the incident occurred in Susya, a village located south of Hebron. Five Jewish American activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence informed the publication that approximately 15 armed settlers surrounded and attacked Ballal. “They started throwing stones towards Palestinians and destroyed a water tank near Hamdan’s house,” recounted one witness who requested anonymity.
Abraham also shared a brief clip reportedly from Ballal’s car dashcam, which featured a group of masked individuals—some armed with sticks—running towards the vehicle at night, with one person throwing a rock at the windshield. Another video circulating on social media depicted what seemed to be a brief confrontation between Ballal's team and the settlers.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the clash, though they did not disclose the identities of those involved. They stated, “Several terrorists hurled rocks at Israeli citizens, damaging their vehicles near Susya. Following this, a violent confrontation broke out, involving mutual rock-hurling between Palestinians and Israelis."
The IDF also reported that their forces apprehended three Palestinians suspected of throwing rocks, along with an Israeli civilian involved in the violent altercation. Their statement appeared to indirectly counter Abraham’s details regarding Ballal’s arrest, asserting that “no Palestinian was apprehended from inside an ambulance.”
This incident reflects ongoing tensions in the West Bank between Palestinian residents and Israeli settlers. Over recent years, the Israeli judiciary has frequently approved orders for the forced eviction of Palestinians, impacting hundreds. Clashes have intensified since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
