In the hills of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, award-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal stands firm despite a brutal attack by Israeli settlers. Just weeks after winning an Oscar for his documentary *No Other Land*, which exposes the forced displacement of Palestinians by illegal settlements, Ballal was beaten outside his home while his terrified family watched.
On Monday evening, a group of armed settlers stormed Ballal’s village, Susya, attacking elderly farmers. When Ballal tried to film the violence, masked settlers turned on him, beating him severely in front of his wife and three young children. His 18-month-old daughter, Laureen, later stood in the dried blood left behind. Israeli soldiers arrived but did nothing to stop the assault. Instead, Ballal claims one soldier threatened him, saying, *”After shooting in the air, I will put the next bullet in your body.”* He and two others were detained, blindfolded, and beaten in a military facility, according to Ballal. The Israeli military denies these claims, accusing him of throwing stones—a charge he calls false.
Ballal believes the attack was retaliation for his film’s success. *”At that moment, I thought because of my Oscar, they wanted to kill me,”* he told CNN. In detention, soldiers mocked him, laughing as they mentioned his Oscar win. *No Other Land*, co-directed by Ballal and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, documents the violent expulsion of Palestinians from their lands to make way for settlements. Since its release, settler attacks have increased, part of what Amnesty International calls a *”state-backed campaign to displace Palestinians.”*
Since October 2023, settler attacks have surged, with over 1,420 incidents recorded by the UN. Five Palestinians, including a child, have been killed, and more than 26,000 olive trees—essential to Palestinian livelihoods—have been destroyed. Despite international criticism, Israel’s government continues to support settlements. Recently, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu legalized 13 outposts, a move celebrated by far-right ministers.
Ballal refuses to leave. *”They want to push us out, but this is my land,”* he says, watching settlers graze livestock on stolen farmland nearby, guarded by soldiers. His defiance echoes the message of his film: *Palestinians will not disappear.* As the world watches, Ballal’s story highlights the ongoing struggle for justice in the West Bank—where land, life, and truth remain under siege.
Related topics:
Hurricane Oscar Disrupts Travel in Bahamas and Cuba
Lights, Camera, Vacation: VisitBritain Launches “Starring GREAT Britain” Campaign
Spain’s Nationwide Travel Pass Set to Boost Tourism with Affordable “Billete Único”
