Assault and Arbitrary Detention

According to Yuval Abraham, co-director of the documentary, Ballal was surrounded by a group of Israeli settlers who threw stones at his house in a violent attack and was subsequently beaten in the head and stomach until he bled.

Despite his injuries, Ballal did not receive medical assistance; on the contrary, when the ambulance arrived to help him, Israeli soldiers stormed the vehicle and took him into custody, handcuffed and blindfolded.

Lawyer Leah Tsemel confirmed that director Ballal was handcuffed and blindfolded all night at a military base, where he was beaten by two soldiers. He is currently being held at the Kiryat Arba police station, without access to medical care. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demanded his immediate release.

Journalist Basel Adra, also a co-director of "No Other Land," witnessed Hamdan Ballal's capture. Adra reported that, at the time of his arrest, a group of settlers were standing near the director's house, throwing stones.

Five American activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence (CJNV) who were in the area were also attacked by about 20 settlers armed with batons, knives, and a shotgun. Jenna, one of the activists, said the group tried to flee but was surrounded and attacked. Their vehicles were vandalized, their windows broken, and their tires punctured.

According to Josh Kimelman, another American activist, Israeli soldiers not only failed to prevent the attacks, but allowed them to continue and watched all the attacks without intervening, making clear their support for the settlers' actions.

Violence as Retaliation

Hamdan Ballal and Basel Adra had already denounced several threats from Israeli settlers, especially after the worldwide recognition of "No Other Land" at the Oscars. The documentary denounces the expulsion of Palestinians from the Massafer Yatta area in the occupied West Bank, an area declared a "military zone" by Israel, where authorities have been demolishing Palestinian homes.

Hamdan Ballal himself reported that his farm has been the target of constant attacks, an attempt to force him to abandon his land. Basel Adra confirmed that since his Oscar win, the attacks have intensified.

“It feels like revenge for the movie. It's like punishment.”

The Israeli government, for its part, downplayed the events. Israel's Minister of Culture, in a clear rejection of the film's narrative, described the documentary's victory as:

“A sad moment for the world of cinema.”

International Reaction

Human rights organizations on the ground condemned the attack on Hamdan Ballal and the American activists and called on the UN and world powers to intervene. Israel's occupation of the West Bank is considered illegal under international law, but violence against Palestinians continues unpunished.

The UN reiterated that the occupation of the West Bank violates international treaties, while the European Union demanded "transparent investigations." However, Israel remains firm in its position, controlling the narrative and ignoring international criticism.

According to Amnesty International, in 2024 alone, 478 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank were recorded.

Conclusion

The case of Hamdan Ballal reflects a pattern of violence against Palestinians under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and beyond. The assault and arbitrary detention of a world-renowned filmmaker highlights the impunity of Israeli forces in the region.