Oscar-winning Director Attacked By Israeli Settlers

Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," was reportedly attacked by masked Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Susiya.

According to witnesses, approximately 15 armed settlers assaulted Ballal's home, vandalized his vehicle, and destroyed property. During the attack, Ballal sustained head and stomach injuries.

Photo by Jordan Strauss

While receiving medical attention in an ambulance, Israeli soldiers detained Ballal along with another individual named Nasser. The Israeli military stated that the detainees were suspected of throwing rocks and were undergoing medical treatment at a military base.

"No Other Land," co-directed by Ballal, Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor, documents the struggles of Masafer Yatta residents against forced displacement in the West Bank. The film has garnered international acclaim, winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film in 2025.

His Israeli co-director stated that the attack by the settlers left Ballal bleeding from the head. When an ambulance arrived for him, Israeli soldiers prevented medics from treating him, pulled him out of the ambulance, blindfolded him, forced him and another attack victim into a car, and drove away.

(Raviv Rose Via AP)

Co-director Yuval Abraham expressed concern over Ballal's whereabouts, stating, "We don't know where Hamdan is because he was taken away in a blindfold." Activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, present during the incident, reported that settlers also attacked them, damaging vehicles and causing injuries.

Video provided by the Center for Jewish Nonviolence showed a masked settler shoving and swinging his fists at two activists from the group in a dusty field at night. The activists rush back to their car. “Get in, get in!” one shouts, and they duck inside as the thuds of rocks being thrown can be heard. “Car window was broken,” the driver says as they drive off.

The Israeli military has refused to comment or provide any information about Ballal’s whereabouts.

This incident highlights the escalating tensions and violence in the West Bank, particularly involving settler attacks on Palestinian communities. Human rights organizations have documented a rise in such incidents, calling for international attention and intervention.