Just weeks after accepting an Oscar for his documentary No Other Land, Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal found himself in a drastically different situation—detained, blindfolded, and allegedly beaten by Israeli soldiers and settlers.
Speaking from a hospital in the West Bank, Ballal described the horrifying ordeal, stating that he was kicked, punched, and physically assaulted while being held for more than 20 hours. His face was still bruised, and his clothes bore bloodstains from the alleged attack.
Ballal claims that during his detention, soldiers repeatedly mentioned his name and the word “Oscar,” making him believe they recognized him. “When they say ‘Oscar,’ you understand.
When they say your name, you understand,” he explained. According to him, an Israeli settler kicked his head “like a football” before soldiers took over, keeping him blindfolded and hitting him whenever they switched shifts.
The Israeli military has yet to respond to the allegations, while the settler Ballal identified as his attacker, Shem Tov Luski, denies any involvement.
Luski, who has previously threatened Ballal, claims the filmmaker and other Palestinians attacked his car with stones. However, Ballal insists he never threw any stones and was only trying to document the damage caused by settlers in his village.
Night of Violence in the West Bank
The attack took place in the southern West Bank village of Susya, part of the Masafer Yatta region that No Other Land focuses on. The film highlights the struggles of Palestinian residents against Israeli military orders to demolish their homes.
On the night of Ballal’s alleged beating, witnesses reported that about two dozen Israeli settlers, accompanied by police, stormed the village, throwing stones at homes and destroying property. Soon after, around 30 Israeli soldiers arrived.
Ballal recalls locking himself inside his home with his wife and three children as the violence unfolded. However, he says Luski, along with two soldiers, approached his house, forcibly took him outside, and brutally assaulted him.
“I told myself, if they attack me, if they kill me, I will protect my family,” he said. His wife, Lamia Ballal, who was inside with their children, heard his screams as he was being beaten outside. “I’m dying!” she recalled him shouting.
The next day, traces of the attack were still visible. A small bloodstain remained outside Ballal’s home, and his family’s car had shattered windows. Neighbors also pointed to a water tank that had been damaged, allegedly by the settlers.
Detained and Held Without Care
After the attack, Israeli soldiers detained Ballal along with two other Palestinians. His lawyer, Lea Tsemel, stated that they were taken to an army base, where they received only minimal care for their injuries.
For hours, no one had access to them. Ballal said he was blindfolded and forced to sit under a freezing air conditioner for more than 20 hours, unable to move or see where he was. Each time soldiers came on duty, he was hit or kicked.
The three detainees were later transferred to a police station in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba before being released. Ballal, limping and in pain, walked to a nearby hospital in Hebron, where doctors confirmed he had multiple bruises, scratches, and a cut on his chin. However, they found no internal injuries.
Despite his suffering, Ballal’s case is not unique. Palestinian residents of the West Bank frequently report violent attacks from settlers, often with little to no intervention from Israeli authorities. Rights groups claim that even when violence is documented, accountability is rare.
Growing Tensions and Rising Attacks
Ballal’s ordeal is part of a larger pattern of escalating violence in the West Bank, especially since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war. Palestinian activists report an increase in both settler attacks and Israeli military raids, with hundreds of Palestinians killed and thousands displaced in recent months.
Ballal’s co-director on No Other Land, Basel Adra, noted that attacks against Palestinians and their property have surged since the documentary won the Oscar. “We’re living in dark days here, in Gaza, and all of the West Bank,” he said. “Nobody’s stopping this.”
Israel captured the West Bank during the 1967 Mideast war and has since built over 100 settlements, housing more than 500,000 Israeli settlers. Meanwhile, roughly 3 million Palestinians live under military rule, facing land confiscation, home demolitions, and frequent clashes with Israeli forces.
As tensions continue to rise, Ballal’s case serves as yet another reminder of the struggles Palestinians endure in their fight for recognition and survival.
