Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker attacked Israeli settlers, detained army | World News

Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary ‘No Other Land’, was assaulted Israeli settlers and subsequently taken into custody Israeli military forces in the occupied West Bank, fellow filmmakers and eyewitnesses reported, as cited the Associated Press (AP).Ballal was among three Palestinians arrested in the village of Susiya, said lawyer Leah Tsemmel. She added that they were being held at a military base for medical treatment but had not been allowed to speak with her.
Basel Adra, another co-director of the film, said he saw a group of around 20 settlers—some masked, some carrying guns, and some in Israeli military uniform—enter the village. Soldiers who arrived at the scene aimed their weapons at Palestinians, while settlers continued throwing stones.
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Hamdan Ballal, Palestinian co-director of Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, is detained the Israeli military from his home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. (AP)
“We came back from the Oscars, and since then, there have been daily attacks on us. This feels like punishment for making the film,” Adra told AP.
The Israeli military said it had arrested three Palestinians suspected of throwing rocks at soldiers and detained one Israeli involved in “a violent confrontation” between Israelis and Palestinians. However, witnesses interviewed AP challenged this claim. The army said all those detained were handed over to Israeli police and that an injured Israeli citizen was taken for medical treatment.
The documentary No Other Land won the Academy Award for Best Documentary this year. It tells the story of Palestinian residents in Masafer Yatta trying to prevent the Israeli military from demolishing their villages. Ballal and Adra, both from Masafer Yatta, co-directed the film with Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. The film has received international recognition, including an award at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival, but has also faced criticism in Israel and elsewhere.

According to Adra, the settlers attacked the village on Monday evening, shortly after residents broke their fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. A settler known for previous attacks walked to Ballal’s home, accompanied Israeli soldiers, who fired shots into the air.Story continues below this ad
Ballal’s wife heard her husband being beaten outside and screaming “I’m dying,” Adra told AP. He said he later saw soldiers taking Ballal away, blindfolded and handcuffed, leaving blood stains on the ground outside his home.
The Israeli military said it had arrested three Palestinians suspected of throwing rocks at soldiers and detained one Israeli involved in “a violent confrontation” between Israelis and Palestinians. (AP)
Another witness, who spoke anonymously out of fear, confirmed parts of Adra’s account.
Meanwhile, activs from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence were also attacked masked settlers carrying stones and sticks. The settlers smashed car windows and slashed tyres to force them to leave, said activ Josh Kimelman.
A video provided the activ group showed a masked settler pushing and punching two activs in a dusty field at night. Rocks could be heard hitting a car as the activs ran towards their vehicle.Story continues below this ad
Israel took control of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. Palestinians want these territories as part of a future state, while Israel has built over 100 settlements in the West Bank, housing more than 500,000 settlers with Israeli citizenship. Meanwhile, around three million Palestinians in the West Bank live under Israeli military rule, with the Palestinian Authority governing some areas.
Masafer Yatta was declared a live-fire training zone the Israeli military in the 1980s, and residents were ordered to leave. Although around 1,000 Palestinians have remained, they face frequent demolitions of homes, water tanks, and olive groves Israeli soldiers. Residents fear they could be forced out permanently at any time.
Since the Gaza war began, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinians in military operations across the West Bank, while settler violence against Palestinians has also increased. At the same time, there has been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis.