A serious altercation in the West Bank has left Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal injured and detained, according to his co-director and an activist group. Yuval Abraham, one of the co-directors of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday to share the alarming news. Abraham claimed that Ballal was brutally attacked by a group of settlers in the village of Susiya, his hometown in the Masafer Yatta area. According to Abraham’s account, the attack left Ballal with injuries to his head and stomach, and he was subsequently detained by Israeli military personnel. “He has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding,” Abraham wrote in his social media post, expressing his concern for Ballal’s condition.
The altercation allegedly took place on Monday night in Susiya, a village that has been the subject of heightened tensions due to its location within the contested area of the West Bank. According to the activist group Center for Jewish Nonviolence, the violence began when local residents of Susiya attempted to peacefully encourage a settler to leave the area. However, the situation escalated when dozens of settlers, some masked and carrying weapons like knives and an assault rifle, reportedly arrived and began attacking homes in the village. The attackers also stole security cameras and damaged water tanks, according to the group’s report. The escalation prompted the involvement of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli police, although both sides of the conflict provided differing versions of the events that transpired.
The Israeli military offered a different account, stating that the violence began when a group of Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli citizens, damaging their vehicles. The IDF claimed that both Palestinians and Israeli settlers began throwing rocks at each other, leading to clashes as security forces arrived at the scene. While both sides agree that three Palestinians were detained after the incident, the situation has further intensified tensions in the region, with the international community, including the International Documentary Association, demanding Ballal’s immediate release and more transparency regarding his condition and detention.
The Alleged Violence and Its Aftermath: A Dispute Over the Events
The details surrounding the violence in the village of Susiya remain contested, with different accounts from the involved parties. According to the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, the violence erupted after a confrontation between villagers and a settler, which then escalated when settlers arrived in force, some armed and wearing masks. The group claims that after the attack on local homes, settlers stole security cameras and damaged vital infrastructure, including water tanks. The photographs and videos shared by the activist group support their version of events, which paints a troubling picture of escalating violence in the West Bank. In contrast, the IDF’s version suggests that the violence was sparked by rock-throwing on both sides, which led to clashes with security forces.
The fact that the IDF and Israeli police were involved in the incident only complicated the narrative further. The Israeli military’s statement notes that several Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli vehicles, leading to a chaotic exchange of stone-throwing between the two groups. According to the IDF, three Palestinians were detained as a result of the conflict, including Hamdan Ballal. The center for Jewish Nonviolence has stated that Ballal, who was injured during the attack, remains in detention at a police station. Despite the different accounts, both sides agree that the situation was highly volatile, resulting in multiple arrests and heightened tensions in the region.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, five American activists who were working with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence on a separate project were also present during the altercation. These activists, too, reportedly faced violent treatment from the settlers during the attack. The Center provided evidence in the form of photographs and video clips, bolstering their claim that the American activists were attacked while attempting to document the situation. This highlights the ongoing danger faced by both locals and international observers in the region, where incidents like these continue to fuel the larger political and humanitarian conflict.
International Reactions and the Call for Ballal’s Release
In response to the incident, the International Documentary Association (IDA) issued a statement demanding the immediate release of Hamdan Ballal, who remains detained following the attack. The IDA also called for his family and community to be informed of his condition, location, and the justification for his detention. The IDA’s statement underscores the global concern over the treatment of filmmakers and activists working in conflict zones, especially when such incidents involve the physical harm and detention of individuals engaged in documenting the reality of the situation.
The Center for Jewish Nonviolence has continued to advocate for the release of Ballal, highlighting the risks faced by those working to bring attention to the plight of Palestinians in the West Bank. The group has called on international bodies to exert pressure on the Israeli authorities to ensure that Ballal’s rights are respected and that his detention is justified. As of now, the filmmaker’s exact location and condition remain unclear, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the incident. This ongoing situation has also reignited broader conversations about the challenges faced by documentary filmmakers working in politically sensitive and volatile regions.
Despite its critical acclaim, No Other Land—which focuses on the forced displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta and a growing partnership between Palestinian and Israeli activists—has not been picked up by any major U.S. distributor. Co-director Yuval Abraham has suggested that the film’s critical stance on Israeli military and political actions may be a key factor in the lack of U.S. interest. The situation surrounding Ballal’s detainment is further complicating matters for the filmmakers, who have already faced significant challenges in securing distribution for a film that sheds light on the ongoing issues in the region.