Published: March 25, 2025
SUSIYA, West Bank — Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian filmmaker who recently secured an Academy Award for co-directing the documentary “No Other Land,” was assaulted by Israeli settlers in his home village of Susiya. The incident occurred as Ballal and fellow villagers were breaking their Ramadan fast. Eyewitnesses reported that approximately 15 armed and masked settlers attacked Ballal, inflicting injuries to his head and abdomen.
During the assault, several American activists associated with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence were also targeted while assisting Palestinian residents. The settlers were reportedly armed with batons, knives, and at least one assault rifle.
Following the attack, Israeli soldiers entered the ambulance where Ballal was receiving medical attention and detained him, along with another injured individual. Their current whereabouts and conditions remain undisclosed.
Ballal’s co-director, Yuval Abraham, condemned the attack, highlighting the ongoing violence faced by the Palestinian community in Masafer Yatta, a central theme of their documentary. The International Documentary Association has also denounced the assault and called for transparency regarding Ballal’s detention.
“No Other Land,” which documents the Israeli demolition of Palestinian villages in the West Bank, premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2024, and has garnered multiple accolades, including the Berlinale Documentary Film Award and the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 97th Oscars on March 2, 2025.
