The co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, Hamdan Ballal, has reportedly been attacked and arrested by Israeli soldiers, according to fellow co-director Yuval Abraham’s post on X (formerly Twitter). Activist Josh Kimelman, who witnessed the incident, told The Associated Press, “We don’t know where Hamdan is because he was taken away in a blindfold.”
What happened to Hamdan Ballal?
Palestinian Oscar-winning director Hamdan Ballal has been attacked, Yuval Abraham revealed on X. Ballal’s co-director for the documentary posted a detailed description of the attack. He shared, “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.”
Additionally, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged detaining three Palestinians and an Israeli. The authorities claimed the detained individuals participated in “rock hurling” at security forces. (Via BBC News)
The Associated Press further noted that five Jewish American activists witnessed Hamdan Ballal’s attack. As per the witnesses, a group of about 15 armed settlers surrounded Ballal in Susya in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron. As per attorney Lea Tsemel, Ballal was one of the three Palestinians that Israeli soldiers detained.
Basel Adra, another co-director on No Other Land, witnessed the detention and described approximately two dozen settlers entering the village—some masked and armed. According to Adra, soldiers pointed weapons at Palestinians during the incident. “We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us,” Adra stated. “This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment.”
Multiple media outlets reference footage from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence showing a masked settler shoving and swinging his fist at two activists in a nighttime confrontation. The video captures the activists retreating to their vehicle amid the sound of rocks striking it. The activists shout, “Get in, get in.” (via Al Jazeera)
The film No Other Land is the directorial debut from the Palestinian-Israeli collective of Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor, and follows Adra as he documents his hometown’s destruction. The documentary won the Best Documentary Feature Film award at the 2025 Academy Awards.
Originally reported by Arpita Adhya on ComingSoon.
