Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning film No Other Land, was reportedly assaulted by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and subsequently detained by Israeli soldiers on Monday, 25 March, according to his colleagues and eyewitness accounts.
Several witnesses have confirmed the attack to the media. Ballal’s co-director, Basel Adra, told CNN that he went to Ballal’s home in the West Bank village of Susya on Monday after receiving a distress call from him. When he arrived, Ballal and at least one other person were being taken away by Israeli forces.
Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, co-director of No Other Land, posted on X on Monday, stating that “a group of settlers just lynched” his colleague. “They assaulted him, leaving him with head and stomach injuries, and he is bleeding,” Abraham wrote. He also shared a clip of the incident on his profile.
According to Adra, the incident started when a group of Israeli settlers began throwing stones at Ballal. Israeli police and military, who were present outside the home, reported witnessing a “violent confrontation” between Palestinians and Israelis, with both sides throwing rocks at one another.
A witness told The Guardian that the settlers also vandalized Ballal’s car, smashing all the windows and windshields, slashing one of the tires, and pelting it with stones. Ballal was injured in the attack and later detained by the Israeli army.
In a statement shared with the Los Angeles Times, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) reported a violent confrontation between Palestinians and Israelis after “terrorists” allegedly threw rocks at Israeli citizens.
“IDF and Israeli Police forces arrived to disperse the confrontation, at which point several terrorists began throwing rocks at the security forces,” the statement said.
Israeli forces detained three Palestinians suspected of rock-throwing, along with one Israeli civilian involved in the violence. The detainees were handed over to the Israeli Police for further questioning.
As news of Ballal’s detainment spread on Monday afternoon, support followed. American actor Mark Ruffalo commented, urging all filmmakers and Academy members to unite in protest.
The International Documentary Association also issued a statement condemning the incident, claiming that Ballal was “violently attacked and kidnapped in the West Bank,” and called for his immediate release. The statement further demanded that Ballal’s family and community be informed of his condition, whereabouts, and the reasons behind his detention.
No Other Land, an Oscar-winning documentary co-directed by Palestinians Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal, along with Israelis Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, depicts the ongoing destruction of villages in the West Bank.
The film follows the story of Palestinian activist Basel Adra from Masafer Yatta and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham as they come together in their struggle against the systematic demolition of homes and communities.
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