Movies

‘No Other Land’ filmmaker beaten by Israeli settlers and detained by soldiers, co-director and activists allege

BBG News

Film director Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian co-creator of the Academy Award-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was arrested on Monday by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank following an assault by settlers. This information comes from his Israeli collaborator on the project as well as Jewish activists.

Journalist Yuval Abraham, one of the directors of “No Other Land,” penned down on X that a gang of settlers allegedly murdered his associate. He stated that the man was brutally assaulted, suffering from wounds to his head and abdomen, with visible internal bleeding.

Abraham wrote in his post, which was shared in both English and Hebrew, that soldiers stormed the ambulance he had called for help, and they took him away. He hasn’t been seen since then.

Anna Lippman, representing the activist organization Center for Jewish Nonviolence, reported that over a dozen settlers aggressively targeted the Palestinian village of Susiya in the Masafer Yatta region on Monday, causing damage to properties. During the evening assault on Monday, Ballal sustained injuries inflicted by settlers. He was being treated for head injuries such as swelling and bleeding when soldiers arrived and seized him, along with two other men from Susiya, according to Lippman’s account.

“We do not know where he is or his condition,” she added Monday.

Movies

Produced by a collective of Palestinian and Israeli advocate filmmakers, this documentary (nominated for an Academy Award) offers insights into daily life under military rule in a tiny West Bank hamlet.

The Center for Jewish Peaceful Resistance posted CCTV footage on Bluesky depicting an individual forcefully pushing three individuals and striking one member of the group. In a subsequent part of the video, an individual with a masked face is seen joining others, grabbing something from the ground, and throwing it at the vehicle, causing severe damage to the windscreen. Lippman’s recording offers another perspective on the altercation.

As a participant in the recent incident, I shared with the Associated Press on Monday that we’re uncertain about Hamdan’s whereabouts as he was escorted away wearing a blindfold.

1) Abraham didn’t give a quick reply when The Times asked for further explanation, and an Israeli Defense Forces representative didn’t promptly verify Ballal’s detainment.

2) The Times’ request for more comment from Abraham went unanswered immediately, and the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson didn’t confirm Ballal’s arrest right away.

3) Abraham took no immediate action in response to The Times’ query for additional input, while a representative of the Israel Defense Forces failed to verify Ballal’s apprehension without delay.

4) Abraham didn’t quickly respond to The Times’ request for extra comments, and the Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson didn’t confirm Ballal’s arrest right off the bat.

5) The Times’ inquiry for additional comment from Abraham went unanswered straight away, and a representative of the Israel Defense Forces did not immediately verify Ballal’s detainment.

The film titled ‘No Other Land,’ co-directed by Abraham, Ballal, Basel Adra (a Palestinian activist), and Rachel Szor (an Israeli filmmaker), is a powerful documentary that portrays Israel’s destruction of villages in Masafer Yatta to create an Israeli military training base. This devastating event forces families and entire communities from their homes. Remarkably, this film was honored with the Documentary Award at the 2025 Academy Awards.

Read More

2025-03-25 01:31

Previous post Radio DJ Chris Stark reveals cancer diagnosis
Next post Tokenized Treasuries Hit $5B: Fidelity’s Blockchain Bonanza 🚀