Oscar-Winning Palestinian Filmmaker Hamdan Ballal Attacked by Israeli Settlers, Detained by Military

The recent detention of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal by Israeli forces has sparked outrage and raised concerns over increasing violence in the occupied West Bank. Ballal, one of the co-directors of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was reportedly beaten by Israeli settlers before being taken into custody by the military.

Attack and Arrest

Hamdan Ballal was detained in his home village of Susiya alongside two other Palestinians. According to attorney Lea Tsemel, they were taken to a military base for medical treatment, but she has been unable to contact them. Fellow filmmaker Basel Adra, who co-directed No Other Land, witnessed the attack. He stated that a group of around two dozen settlers—some masked, some armed, and others in Israeli military uniforms—stormed the village, attacking residents. As the violence escalated, Israeli soldiers reportedly pointed their guns at Palestinians while settlers continued throwing stones.

Basel Adra believes that the assault was a form of retaliation for their documentary, which sheds light on Israel’s ongoing efforts to demolish Palestinian villages in Masafer Yatta. “We came back from the Oscars, and every day since, there has been an attack on us,” he told the Associated Press. “It feels like a punishment.”

Hamdan Ballal, Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, is detained by the Israeli military from his home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Monday. Raviv Rose/AP

Conflicting Narratives

The Israeli military defended its actions, claiming that Palestinian Filmmaker Hamdan Ballal and the other detained Palestinians were suspected of throwing rocks at Israeli forces. A single Israeli civilian was also detained for involvement in what the military called a “violent confrontation” between Israelis and Palestinians. However, witnesses dispute this version of events, insisting that settlers initiated the violence while soldiers stood by.

Video footage provided by the Center for Jewish Nonviolence appears to support these claims. In the video, a masked settler is seen physically attacking two activists, forcing them to flee as rocks are thrown at their car. Activist Josh Kimelman, who was present, reported that settlers slashed car tyres and smashed windows to drive people out of the area.

The Documentary and Its Impact

No Other Land has gained international recognition, winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary earlier this year. The film, directed by Hamdan Ballal, Basel Adra, and Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, exposes the struggle of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta against forced displacement by the Israeli military.

While the documentary has been widely praised, it has also drawn backlash in Israel and beyond. Miami Beach officials even considered terminating the lease of a theatre that screened the film, highlighting the deep political divisions it has ignited.

Rising Tensions in the West Bank

The attack on Palestinian Filmmaker Hamdan Ballal comes amid escalating violence in the West Bank. Israel has occupied the territory since the 1967 war and has since built over 100 settlements housing more than 500,000 Israelis. Meanwhile, the Palestinian population of three million remains under Israeli military control.

Masafer Yatta, where Ballal and Basel Adra Adra are from, was designated by Israel as a military firing zone in the 1980s, putting residents at constant risk of displacement. Over the past year, attacks by settlers have increased significantly, with military forces frequently demolishing Palestinian homes, water tanks, and olive orchards.

International Response and Next Steps

Hamdan Ballal’s detention has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations and international observers. With growing concerns over settler violence and military crackdowns, many are calling for immediate intervention to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure accountability for attacks.

As tensions continue to rise, the world watches closely to see whether justice will be served for Ballal and his fellow filmmakers, whose work has brought global attention to the plight of their people.