The Israeli army has detained the Palestinian director of the Oscar-winning documentary ‘No Other Land’ after masked Israelis stormed his home.
A group of roughly 15 armed settlers surrounded and attacked Hamdan Ballal, one of the four directors of the film that chronicled the devastation of West Bank villages, in Susya, in the Masafer Yatta neighbourhood south of Hebron, according to five Jewish American activists who witnessed the incident.
Regarding the Centre for Jewish Nonviolence activists, Joseph, who requested that his full name not be used for security concerns, said, “They began throwing stones towards Palestinians and destroyed a water tank near Hamdan’s house.”
Witnesses claimed that a group of soldiers and other settlers in military uniforms arrived at the scene, chased Hamdan to his home, and turned him over to the military.
Ballal was captured by the Israeli army after being hurt by the settlers. After filming the assault, members of the activist group went inside the house and noticed blood on the floor, which one family member claimed was spilt when Hamdan was struck in the head.
The director was detained and brought to a police station along with another individual who was only known as Nasser. The reason was unclear. The IDF said in a statement that after “terrorists” threw rocks at Israeli people, there was a violent altercation between Palestinians and Israelis
“IDF and Israeli Police forces arrived to disperse the confrontation. At this point, several terrorists began hurling rocks at the security forces,” the statement said.
“The forces apprehended three Palestinians suspected of hurling rocks at them, as well as an Israeli civilian involved in the violent confrontation. The detainees were taken for further questioning by the Israel Police.”
Palestinians in the village have been under physical attack by settlers almost daily. The settlers’ violence is increasing here. Maybe it’s a revenge for the movie and the Oscar,” he said.
Adra, who was in Susya when the attack occurred, called the violence “horrific.”
“There were dozens of settlers together with the Israeli soldiers, and they were threatening us with weapons,” he said.
“The police were there from the beginning and did not intervene. While the soldiers were pointing their weapons at us, the settlers started attacking the houses of the Palestinians.
“Hamdan tried to protect his family, and the settlers attacked him. Soldiers started shooting in the air to prevent anyone from helping Hamdan. He was shouting for help. They let the settlers attack him, and then the army abducted him.”
Nasser’s Israeli co-director, Yuval Abraham, posted on X: “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film No Other Land. They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.”
The directors and crew members of No Other Land have previously been attacked by settlers. Israeli settlers wearing masks similarly encircled and attacked Adra in February of last year. While writing on X earlier Monday, Adra said that “armed and masked settlers” were “leading a terror attack on Masafer Yatta.”
“Dozens of settlers arrived at my friend Naser’s house in Susya, throwing stones at his home, smashing his vehicle, and slashing [the vehicle’s tyres with knives],” he added.
“We risked our lives to film,” he said, noting that “soldiers are ordering us to stay inside our homes in the village, while those who attack and could’ve slaughtered the residents in their homes roam freely, masked, around the village”.
Israel’s culture minister has called the Oscar win for the joint Palestinian-Israeli documentary “a sad moment for the world of cinema”.