Oscar-Winning Director Hamdan Ballal Attacked by Israeli Settlers and Detained Before Release

Oscar Victory Overshadowed by Violence

Just weeks after winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal faced a harrowing attack by Israeli settlers and soldiers outside his home in Susiya, in the occupied West Bank.

Screengrab from Oscars acceptance speech

On 24 March, Ballal was assaulted and later detained by Israeli forces before being released the following day from a police station in the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba. The attack occurred during Iftar, as residents of Susiya gathered to break their fast for Ramadan.

His arrest came as a shock to many, especially as No Other Land—which documents settler violence and Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes in Masafer Yatta—had just received global recognition.

Settler Attack and Military Detainment

Ballal recounted the attack in an interview, stating that he had been documenting a settler assault on his neighbor’s home when he was targeted.

As the situation escalated, he attempted to return home, but a settler, accompanied by two Israeli soldiers, followed him.

Ballal recounted that soldiers pointed a gun directly at him while a settler approached from behind and physically attacked him. He was unsure what the settler was holding during the assault. Ballal was severely beaten, falling to the ground as soldiers continued to threaten him.

“The soldiers kept on shouting at me, threatening me, and putting the gun—one time at my neck, another time on my cheek,” he said. “They focused on my head. They kicked my head and also hit me with a gun.”

Israeli forces later detained Ballal, accusing him of throwing rocks—an allegation he firmly denies.

“I didn’t throw stones, I didn’t do any problems with the settlers. The settlers came attacking me and beating me. That’s it,” he told ABC News.

He also stated that soldiers continued to beat and blindfold him while in detention. “I realized they were attacking me specifically. When they say ‘Oscar,’ you understand. When they say your name, you understand,” Ballal explained.

Co-Director’s Plea for Justice

Ballal’s fellow No Other Land co-director, Basel Adra, believes the attack was intentional.

“Because [Ballal] carries his camera and documents what is going on, I think he is targeted, and he was avenged this way at night,” Adra told Reuters.

Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, another co-director of the film, took to social media to express his outrage.

“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,” Abraham posted.

His statement came just two weeks after the No Other Land team received a standing ovation at the Oscars. During their acceptance speech, Abraham had said:

“When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal. Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe.”

Growing Settler Violence in the West Bank

The attack on Ballal comes amid a rise in settler violence, with Human Rights Watch reporting an increase in attacks on Palestinians. Since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Ministry of Health states that at least 884 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers.

According to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, approximately 15,700 Palestinians have been detained since October 2023.

The Israeli police have stated that Ballal’s case is still under investigation, but no further updates have been provided.

Despite the international recognition of No Other Land, the violence it documents continues to unfold in real time—this time with one of its own filmmakers as a victim.

Watch a video here: