Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," was reportedly assaulted by Israeli settlers and subsequently detained by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank on Monday evening.

The incident occurred in Susiya, a Palestinian village in the Masafer Yatta region, where Ballal resides. According to witnesses and fellow filmmakers, a group of Israeli settlers, some masked and armed, attacked the village. Ballal suffered injuries to his head and stomach, leaving him bleeding, per The Guardian, citing claims from Nasser's Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham.

Ballal's attorney, Lea Tsemel, said police told her that the director and two other Palestinians were being detained at a military base for medical treatment. She noted that she has not yet been able to speak with Ballal or the other detainees.

Basel Adra, another co-director, told The Associated Press that around two dozen Israeli settlers attacked Susiya, some of whom were brandishing guns while others threw stones.

"We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us," Adra further noted. "This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment."

On the other hand, the Israeli army claimed they detained three people for throwing rocks at military forces—allegations that witnesses who spoke to AP denied.

"No Other Land" is a powerful documentary that chronicles the destruction of Masafer Yatta, a cluster of Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank. Directed collaboratively by Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, the film follows Adra, a young activist from the region, as he documents the forced displacement of his community by Israeli soldiers. These demolitions are carried out under the pretext of turning the area into a military training zone despite families having lived there for generations.

The narrative also explores the friendship between Adra and Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist who joins him in documenting these events.

Tags
The oscars