Eyewitness Account of Hamdan Ballal’s Arrest Sparks Outrage
An eyewitness has shared a harrowing account of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal’s arrest, detailing the moment she witnessed him being zip-tied and blindfolded by police. Ballal, a co-director of the acclaimed documentary No Other Land, was reportedly attacked alongside two others, Khaled Mohammad Shanran and Nasser Shreteh, in the West Bank on Monday night.
The Incident in Susiya
Raviv Rose, who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter from the West Bank, provided insights into the events leading to Ballal’s assault. According to Israeli director Yuval Abraham, Ballal sustained injuries, including bleeding from his head and stomach, after a group of settlers attacked him in his home village of Susiya. Fortunately, an update posted by Abraham revealed that Ballal had been released.
Activism Amid Violence
Rose, a Jewish American and member of the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, described the organization’s mission as providing a protective presence and documenting daily human rights violations in the region. “Our role is to bear witness to the day-to-day human rights violations and violence that these communities are experiencing,” she explained. The activists engage in various forms of support, from connecting individuals with legal assistance to addressing urgent community needs.
A Dangerous Response
Upon learning about the incident in Susiya, Rose and her fellow activists attempted to intervene but were met with violence themselves. “As we ran, settlers started beating us with sticks and clubs in the back,” Rose recounted. Despite their efforts to alert the Israeli army, they were met with indifference. “We ran into the vehicle, and that is when they started stoning the car,” she added, noting that the vehicle was damaged significantly.
Witnessing the Aftermath
As the group approached Ballal’s house, they found his family engaged in prayer, as the attack occurred during the Ramadan fast-break known as Iftar. “A number of other relatives were outside. We learned that he had been attacked, and we could see a pool of his blood outside of his front door,” Rose recalled. The three men were seen being detained by soldiers, zip-tied and blindfolded, as they were placed into an army vehicle.
Understanding the Attack
Rose pieced together the narrative of the night: settlers allegedly approached the homes, throwing stones to damage property, including cars and a water tank. In an attempt to protect his family, Ballal confronted the settlers, which led to his brutal assault. Visual evidence of the events has been shared with THR, and Ballal’s lawyer has been contacted for further remarks.
A Pattern of Violence
Rose expressed concern that such incidents have been occurring with disturbing frequency in the Masafer Yatta area. “This story is getting so much buzz because now Hamdan has an Oscar, but there have been at least four similar attacks since the Oscars alone,” she highlighted. “Every time we document these incidents, we try to raise awareness and file complaints, but unfortunately, little progress is made.”
Conflicting Narratives
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) presented a different perspective on the events, claiming that violence erupted after “several terrorists hurled rocks at Israeli citizens,” leading to mutual exchanges of violence between the two groups. According to the IDF, their involvement resulted in the detention of three Palestinians.
No Other Land: A Significant Award
The documentary No Other Land, a collaboration between two Israeli and two Palestinian filmmakers, won the Best Documentary award at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2. The film explores the forced displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta and chronicles the developing friendship between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist from 2019 to 2023. Despite its critical acclaim, the film has yet to secure a U.S. distributor.