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On Monday, Israeli settlers assaulted one of the Palestinian co-directors of the Oscar-winning documentary film “No Other Land” in the occupied West Bank, before he was detained by the Israeli military, according to statements from his fellow directors and eyewitnesses. Filmmaker Hamdan Ballal was among three Palestinians detained in the village of Susiya, as confirmed by attorney Lea Tsemel. Police informed her that they are being held at a military base for medical treatment, and she reported that she has not been able to communicate with them. Basel Adra, another co-director, witnessed the detention, describing an attack on the village by approximately two dozen settlers, some masked, some armed, and some wearing Israeli uniforms. Soldiers who arrived on the scene aimed their weapons at the Palestinians, while settlers continued to hurl stones. “Since returning from the Oscars, we’ve faced daily attacks,” Adra told The Associated Press. “This could be their retaliation for creating the film. It feels like a form of punishment.” The Israeli military stated that it detained three Palestinians suspected of throwing rocks at their forces, and one Israeli civilian involved in a “violent confrontation” between Israelis and Palestinians—a claim disputed by witnesses interviewed by the AP. The military reported that they transferred the detainees to Israeli police for questioning and evacuated an injured Israeli citizen from the area for medical treatment.
