Hamdan Ballal, director of the documentary "No Other Land," was brutally assaulted by masked attackers during Ramadan. The Israeli military has since detained him and two others, prompting questions about escalating violence and the treatment of Palestinians in the region.**
Palestinian Filmmaker Assaulted in West Bank Amid Ongoing Tensions**
Palestinian Filmmaker Assaulted in West Bank Amid Ongoing Tensions**
Oscar-winning director Hamdan Ballal suffers violent attack in his hometown, raising concerns over settler violence in the occupied territories.**
In a worrying escalation of violence, Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian director renowned for his Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was assaulted this week near his home in Susya, a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. According to eyewitness accounts, he was brutally attacked by a group of at least 20 masked individuals, primarily teenagers. Witness Joseph Kaplan Weinger reported that the attackers were armed with rocks, sticks, and knives, and they targeted local residents just as they were breaking their fast for Ramadan, in a seemingly unprovoked assault.
Weinger, who is actively involved in a volunteer initiative focused on protecting people in areas threatened by settler violence, described the chaos of the attack, stating, "Some mockingly shouted holiday blessings as they did so." In a desperate attempt to assist Ballal, he attempted to alert Israeli soldiers by honking his car horn; however, he and his companions were obstructed from reaching the scene. "Soldiers just stood around," he added, highlighting the lack of intervention during the attack.
Ballal, who is 37 years old, was among three Palestinians reportedly detained by the Israeli authorities post-attack. Leah Zemel, their legal representative, conveyed that the detainees had been taken to a military facility for medical treatment prior to their questioning, though the reasons behind their detention remain unclear.
The Israeli military provided its account of the events, claiming that "several terrorists" started the confrontation by throwing rocks at Israeli citizens, leading to a mutual exchange of violence. They characterized the situation as a “violent confrontation” but did not address the violent behavior directed toward Ballal and the other villagers.
As tensions rise in the region, the increasing frequency of such incidents calls for urgent attention to the safety and rights of Palestinian residents. The assault on Ballal, following the recognition of his work on international platforms like the Oscars, underscores the fragile situation in the West Bank and the ongoing struggle for both justice and recognition among Palestinian artists and communities.
