Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, is reportedly missing after being violently attacked in his home village of Susya. The attack, which involved a group of masked Israeli settlers, left Ballal with severe injuries, including head and stomach wounds, according to a series of posts shared on social media by co-director Yuval Abraham.
Abraham’s initial post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday described the harrowing scene: “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film ‘No Other Land.’ They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.”
Eyewitnesses, including activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, reported that a group of 10-20 masked settlers attacked Ballal and other Jewish activists with sticks and stones. The attackers also vandalized their car by smashing windows and slashing tires. This violent altercation took place in Susya, a Palestinian village in the West Bank. Ballal, who has been vocal in his support of Palestinian rights, was subsequently detained after soldiers intervened, and there has been no confirmation of his whereabouts since the attack.
Reports indicate that three Palestinians were also detained at the scene, though no official explanation has been given for their arrest. The individuals were reportedly taken to a military center for questioning.
The International Documentary Association (IDA) has issued a statement demanding the immediate release of Ballal and calling for transparency regarding his condition and location. “We demand Ballal’s immediate release and that his family and community be informed about his condition, location, and the justification for his detention,” the IDA said.
This violent incident comes just three weeks after No Other Land won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. On stage during the Oscars ceremony, the film’s directors took the opportunity to highlight the ongoing human rights abuses in Gaza, with co-director Basel Adra stating, “We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.”
No Other Land, which follows the harrowing story of a Palestinian family whose home is destroyed by the Israeli government, has gained widespread critical acclaim since its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. Despite the film’s success, including top documentary prizes at Berlin and a notable festival run in Toronto, Vancouver, and New York, it has yet to secure a U.S. distributor.
As the situation surrounding Ballal remains unclear, the filmmakers, along with their supporters, are demanding answers and calling for his immediate release.