A Palestinian Oscar-winning filmmaker, Hamdan Ballal, has been detained in the occupied West Bank after a violent incident involving Israeli settlers and Palestinians, activists report.
Ballal, one of the co-directors of No Other Land, was reportedly attacked in his home in Susya by settlers on Monday. According to Jewish American activists, about a dozen masked settlers carried out the assault, injuring people and damaging property.
Israeli director and fellow Oscar winner Yuval Abraham stated that Ballal was beaten and taken away by Israeli soldiers while in an ambulance, though Israeli authorities dispute this.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that three Palestinians and one Israeli were detained on suspicion of throwing rocks at security forces.
The No Other Land documentary, which won Best Documentary at the 97th Academy Awards, highlights the struggle over Masafer Yatta, a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlements in the region, considered illegal under international law, have been a source of ongoing conflict.
Violence between Israeli settlers and Palestinians has intensified since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in 2023, with a surge in attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.
