Oscar-Winning Palestinian Filmmaker Hamdan Ballal Assaulted by Israeli Settlers in the West Bank

Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was assaulted by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and subsequently taken away by Israeli soldiers, according to eyewitnesses and his colleagues.

Ballal’s co-director, Basel Adra, told CNN that he rushed to Ballal’s home in the village of Susya after receiving a distress call. Upon arrival, he saw Ballal being taken away by Israeli forces while a group of Israeli settlers gathered outside, some throwing stones. Adra also reported that Israeli soldiers fired at anyone attempting to intervene.

Yuval Abraham, an Israeli co-director of No Other Land, confirmed that Ballal sustained injuries to his head and abdomen during the attack and has not been heard from since. Meanwhile, five American activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence (CJNV) reported being attacked by settlers armed with batons, knives, and at least one assault rifle.