Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker and co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was reportedly attacked by Israeli settlers on Monday in the occupied West Bank, according to activists on social media. The attack took place in the village of Susiya, in the Masafer Yatta region, an area long affected by conflict and military presence.
Ballal Co-Directed Award-Winning Film
Hamdan Ballal is one of four directors of No Other Land, a 2024 documentary filmed between 2019 and 2023. The film shows the destruction of a Palestinian community that had been declared a military “firing zone” by Israeli forces. It gained global attention and won Best Documentary Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
The film was co-directed by two Palestinians (Hamdan Ballal and Basel Adra) and two Israelis (Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor). Its message about life under occupation stirred both praise and controversy, with Israel’s culture minister calling its Oscar win “a sad moment for the world of cinema.”
What Happened in Susiya?
The first reports came from social media activist Ihab Hassan, who frequently shares updates from Gaza and the West Bank. On X (formerly Twitter), Hassan claimed that settlers launched a large-scale attack on the Palestinian village of Susiya.
He said settlers raided homes, smashed windows and vehicles, and beat residents and activists. Hamdan Ballal was reportedly lynched and severely beaten, suffering injuries to his head and stomach.
According to the post, when an ambulance arrived to help Ballal, Israeli soldiers stormed the vehicle and took him away. As of now, there has been no official update on his condition or whereabouts.
Videos Appear to Show the Attack
Hassan posted two videos that appeared to show moments from the attack. In the first video, taken from inside a car, you can hear a blunt object hitting the car and a woman urgently saying, “Get in the car.”
The second video shows a physical altercation, with someone off-camera shouting, “No,” while one person appears to punch another.
Israeli Co-Director Confirms Incident
Yuval Abraham, one of the film’s Israeli co-directors, also posted about the attack. He wrote, “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal… Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.”
Military Responds, Investigation Underway
The Israeli military said they are looking into the incident, according to a report from the Associated Press. No further official statements have been released yet.