Oscar-winning director Hamdan Ballal beaten and detained by Israeli Military in West Bank, CCTV footage leaks

Director Hamdan Ballal goes missing after attack by Isreali millitary

Hamdan Ballal, one of the Palestinian co-directors of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was recently attacked and detained by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank.

The incident took place in the village of Susiya, located in the Masafer Yatta area, where a group of settlers reportedly assaulted residents. Among the victims was Ballal, who sustained a bloody head injury and was later detained by Israeli forces.

The activist group Center for Jewish Nonviolence confirmed the details of the attack, noting that Hamdan Ballal was severely injured, with injuries to both his head and stomach. His condition required medical treatment, but despite calling an ambulance, Israeli soldiers reportedly entered the vehicle and took him into custody.

His whereabouts remain unknown, adding to the concern surrounding the incident.

Yuval Abraham, Ballal’s co-director on No Other Land and an Israeli journalist, shared the alarming news on social media, describing the attack in a post on X. He also shared the leaked CCTV footage of the grouping disrupting the CCTV footages before the director was attacked.

The group of armed KKK-like masked settlers that lynched No Other Land director Hamdan Ballal (still missing), caught here on camera. pic.twitter.com/kFGFxSEanY
Yuval Abraham (@yuval_abraham) March 24, 2025

"A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film No Other Land. They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since." He wrote.

A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co director of our film no other land. They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.Yuval Abraham (@yuval_abraham) March 24, 2025

No Other Land, the documentary co-directed by Palestinian activist Basel Adra, Israeli director Rachel Szor, Yuval Abraham, and Hamdan Ballal, portrays the destruction of Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank. The film won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, a moment of recognition for the filmmakers’ powerful portrayal of life under occupation.

During the acceptance speech, Abraham reflected on the collaborative nature of the project, stating, "We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger." He also addressed the ongoing conflict, emphasising the need for a political solution without ethnic supremacy, acknowledging the unequal circumstances both he and his Palestinian co-director Basel Adra face under military law.