Israeli authorities have released Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Palestinian documentary No Other Land, which received an Oscar. Ballal, who had been detained by the Israeli security forces, was arrested after being violently beaten by Israeli settlers in the village of Susiya, south of the West Bank, where he lives.
Yuval Avraham, the other director of the documentary, reported the incident through social media, claiming that Ballal had suffered serious head and abdominal injuries. «The soldiers broke into the ambulance he had requested and took him away. Since then, we have not heard from him», wrote Avraham, in the face of his partner’s worrying situation.
Ballal’s arrest followed a violent attack by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian village of Masafer Yata, an area where such incidents are common. The settlers, supported by Israeli troops, are seeking to displace the Palestinian population. The attack occurred on Monday around 6 pm, when a group of armed and masked settlers attacked people and destroyed property.
In addition, five American Jewish activists who were also on the scene were brutally attacked by settlers, who threw stones at the vehicle while inside.
On Tuesday, after spending the night arrested and handcuffed at a military base, Hamdan Ballal has been released. Yuval Avraham confirmed the news on his X account, where he expressed gratitude for the release of his companion and announced that Ballal will soon be able to reunite with his family.
This event is a sign of the growing aggressiveness of Israeli settlers in the occupied areas, which has generated great alarm both inside and outside Palestine. Meanwhile, No Other Land continues to be a testament to the resistance of the Palestinian people, highlighting the plight of the population in the West Bank and Gaza.
