Oscar-winning ‘No Other Land’ director attacked by Israeli settlers

Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land", has been injured and detained following a confrontation in the West Bank, according to a fellow filmmaker and an activist group.

Israeli director Yuval Abraham, co-director of the film "No Other Land", reported on X (formerly Twitter) that Ballal was attacked by a group of settlers and later detained by the Israeli military. 

Abraham reported that Ballal sustained head and stomach injuries and was bleeding. Attorney Leah Tsemmel later confirmed that Ballal was one of three Palestinians detained in the village of Susya. 

Photo: AP

According to police, the detainees were taken to a military base for medical treatment. However, Tsemmel stated she has not been able to establish contact with them.

Ballal's co-director, Basel Adra, told CNN that he rushed to Ballal's home in Susya after receiving a distress call from him. Upon arrival, he saw Ballal and at least one other person being taken away.

Adra described a group of Israeli settlers gathered outside Ballal's home, with some throwing stones. He also noted the presence of Israeli police and military, stating that soldiers fired at anyone attempting to approach.

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.

— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 24, 2025

Speaking to The Associated Press, Adra said they had faced daily attacks since returning from the Oscars. He speculated that this could be retaliation for making the film, describing it as feeling like "punishment."

The Israeli military stated that it detained three Palestinians suspected of throwing rocks at soldiers and an Israeli civilian involved in what it called a "violent confrontation" between Israelis and Palestinians. However, witnesses interviewed by the AP disputed this account.

The military reported that the detainees were transferred to Israeli police for questioning, and an Israeli citizen was evacuated for medical treatment.

Ballal, a Palestinian farmer, has previously faced threats from Israeli settlers. He told CNN last year that settlers released their livestock onto his land while he was asleep. He also claimed that their aggression escalated after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, as they sought to take over his land and farm.

"No Other Land", which won this year's Oscar for Best Documentary, documents the struggle of Masafer Yatta residents against Israeli military efforts to demolish their villages.

Ballal and Adra, both from Masafer Yatta, co-directed the film alongside Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.

The documentary has received multiple international awards, beginning with the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024. 

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