Oscar-winning Palestinian director released after assault in West Bank

Published 7 hrs ago Updated 6 hrs ago

Listen

Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Shianne DeLeon (Video Editor), Mathew Grisham (Digital Producer)

A Palestinian film director, known for the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land” was reportedly attacked by Israeli settlers at his West Bank home on Monday. Hamdan Ballal was detained and later released by the Israeli military along, with two other Palestinians and one Israeli.
Five Americans with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence were also there and said they were assaulted as well.
They said the attack came after a dispute involving an Israeli settler who was shepherding near a Palestinian home.

Full Story

Award-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal was detained and later released by the Israeli army after a group of masked settlers attacked his house in the occupied West Bank Monday, March 24.

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

Who is Hamdan Ballal?

Hamdan Ballal is one of four directors, all of whom are Israeli or Palestinian, known for the Oscar award-winning documentary “No Other Land.” The film chronicles the destruction of villages in the West Bank.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

Israel’s culture minister previously called the joint Palestinian-Israeli documentary’s win “a sad moment for the world of cinema.”

(L-R) Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, winners of the Best Documentary Feature Film for “No Other Land”, pose in the press room during the 97th Annual Oscars at Ovation Hollywood on March 02, 2025, in Hollywood, California.

What happened?

Ballal’s co-director Basel Adra told CNN that Ballal called him to his home in the West Bank village of Susya on Monday, distressed. Adra said when he got there, Israeli military members were taking away Ballal and at least one other person.

Five American activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence were also at the scene.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Solidarity of Nations – Achvat Amim (@achvatamim)

The activists said more than a dozen Israeli settlers also assaulted them. They said many of them were using batons, knives and at least one assault weapon.

According to the activists, the incident came after a dispute involving an Israeli settler who was shepherding near a Palestinian home.

Israeli security forces said three Palestinians and an Israeli were then taken in for questioning. The security forces said they took the three in after “several terrorists” threw rocks at security members.

His lawyer, Lea Tsemel, said police told her that they were being held at a military base for medical treatment.

Ballal’s release

On Tuesday, March 25, the director was reportedly released, with Tsemel saying that Ballal had received very little care for his injures. He also said he had been blindfolded for a full day, forced to sleep under an air conditioner.

Israeli police say they released three prisoners, Ballal and two other Palestinians, after an investigation into property damage and rock throwing, and that the three were released on the condition that they would not interact with each other.

Ballal and the two other Palestinians were then transported to a hospital.

What led up to this?

Throughout the war in Gaza, which started when the militant group Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, Israel has killed hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank in wide-scale military operations.

There has also been a rise in settler attacks on Palestinians, as well as Palestinian attacks on Israelis there.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 12:15 p.m. Central Standard Time to reflect new information regarding Ballal’s release.

Tags: CNN, Gaza, Hamas, Hollywood awards, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Jewish, Middle East, movies, Oscars, Palestine, War, West Bank

[Craig Nigrelli]

AN AWARD-WINNING PALESTINIAN DIRECTOR HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN DETAINED BY THE ISRAELI ARMY AFTER A GROUP OF MASKED SETTLERS ATTACKED HIS HOUSE IN THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK MONDAY.

HAMDAN BALLAL IS ONE OF FOUR DIRECTORS – ALL OF WHOM ARE ISRAELI OR PALESTINIAN – KNOWN FOR THE OSCAR AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY “NO OTHER LAND” – WHICH CHRONICLES THE DESTRUCTION OF VILLAGES IN THE WEST BANK.

BALLAL’S CO-DIRECTOR – BASEL ADRA – TOLD C-N-N BALLAL CALLED HIM TO HIS HOME IN THE WEST BANK VILLAGE OF SUSYA ON MONDAY IN DISTRESS.

ADRA SAID WHEN HE GOT THERE – BALLAL AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON WERE BEING TAKEN AWAY BY ISRAELI MILITARY MEMBERS.

FIVE AMERICAN ACTIVISTS FROM THE CENTER FOR JEWISH NONVIOLENCE WERE ALSO AT THE SCENE.

THEY SAID THEY TOO HAD BEEN ASSAULTED WHEN MORE THAN A DOZEN ISRAELI SETTLERS ATTACKED THE VILLAGE, WIELDING BATONS, KNIVES AND AT LEAST ONE ASSAULT WEAPON – FOLLOWING A DISPUTE INVOLVING AN ISRAELI SETTLER WHO WAS SHEPHERDING NEAR A PALESTINIAN HOME.

ISRAELI SECURITY FORCES SAY THREE PALESTINIANS AND AN ISRAELI WERE THEN TAKEN IN FOR QUESTIONING AFTER QUOTE “SEVERAL TERRORISTS” THREW ROCKS AT SECURITY MEMBERS.

BALLAL’S LAWYER SAYS POLICE TOLD HER THEY’RE BEING HELD AT A MILITARY BASE FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT.

THROUGHOUT THE WAR IN GAZA – WHICH STARTED WHEN THE MILITANT GROUP HAMAS ATTACKED ISRAEL IN OCTOBER 20-23 – ISRAEL HAS KILLED HUNDREDS OF PALESTINIANS IN THE WEST BANK IN WIDE-SCALE MILITARY OPERATIONS

THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A RISE IN SETTLER ATTACKS ON PALESTINIANS… AS WELL AS PALESTINIAN ATTACKS ON ISRAELIS THERE.

TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.