Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker who recently won an Oscar, has been released after reportedly being attacked by Israeli settlers and subsequently detained by the Israeli military.
Ballal, who co-directed No Other Land, was in his home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank when the incident occurred. According to activist groups, his house was surrounded by settlers during an attack on Monday, and he was allegedly beaten before being taken into custody.
His co-director, Yuval Abraham, claimed that Ballal was removed from an ambulance by Israeli soldiers before being detained, a claim the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied. On Tuesday afternoon, Abraham confirmed that Ballal had been freed, though details about his release remain limited.
The IDF stated that Ballal was among three Palestinians and one Israeli who were arrested on suspicion of throwing rocks at security forces. The incident drew the attention of activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence (CJNV), who had traveled to the village to document what was happening.
These activists reported that they too were attacked by settlers, who allegedly smashed their car windows, punched them, and struck them with sticks. The activists described a scene of escalating violence, in which settlers targeted both people and property while soldiers initially failed to intervene.
The incident adds to growing concerns about increasing settler violence in the West Bank, which has been condemned by international human rights organizations.
An activist who was present during the attack told the BBC that the three Palestinians, including Ballal, were injured in the assault and were later held at an Israeli police station in the West Bank. The activist claimed that Ballal and the others were accused of throwing stones at settlers and injuring a young settler shepherd.
They were reportedly interrogated but had access to legal representation. The confrontation began around 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT) in the village of Susya when approximately a dozen masked settlers launched an attack, according to activists. The violent clash is part of a broader pattern of confrontations between settlers and Palestinian villagers in the occupied West Bank.
During the attack, Ballal’s home was reportedly surrounded by settlers, adding to fears that he was specifically targeted. Yuval Abraham, the Israeli filmmaker who won an Oscar alongside Ballal earlier this month, stated that people had been injured and that properties were severely damaged in the assault.
The violence prompted concerns from human rights observers, who have repeatedly warned about the rise of settler attacks in the region. The CJNV activists on the scene reported that they pleaded with Israeli soldiers to intervene, but the army allegedly remained passive for much of the attack.
They claim that the soldiers only approached the scene as the settlers were finishing their assault on the activists’ car.
According to the activists, even after the soldiers arrived, they refused to pursue the settlers who had been attacking them. Instead, the soldiers allowed them to move freely, enabling further attacks on homes in a nearby part of the village.
This inaction has fueled accusations that the Israeli military often fails to hold settlers accountable for violence against Palestinians. The IDF, however, stated that both soldiers and police officers had responded to disperse the confrontation.
They claimed that rocks had been thrown at security forces and that the individuals arrested—including Ballal—were suspected of being involved in the violence.
In an official statement, the IDF asserted that the detainees were taken in for questioning by the Israel Police. They confirmed that an Israeli citizen had been injured in the incident and was evacuated for medical treatment.
However, Palestinian activists argue that this version of events omits the role settlers played in escalating the situation and the harm inflicted on the local Palestinian population. The incident has drawn international scrutiny, particularly in light of Ballal’s rising prominence following his Oscar win.
His detention and alleged mistreatment have sparked outcry among human rights groups, who continue to call for greater accountability for settler violence and military actions in the West Bank.
