Hamdan Ballal, the Oscar-winning co-director of the documentary "No Other Land", was released from Israeli custody following a violent incident that raised significant concern regarding settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The incident occurred on March 24, 2025, in the village of Susiya, where Ballal was reportedly attacked by a group of masked settlers while he was documenting their aggression towards a neighbor's home.

After enduring severe physical assault, which left him with visible injuries, including bruises and blood on his clothes, Ballal was detained by Israeli forces. Witnesses report that the assault took place shortly after residents broke their fast for Ramadan. In a follow-up interview from a hospital in Hebron, Ballal expressed fears for his life, stating, "It was a hard, hard attack... I thought I was going to die."

Israeli military officials initially claimed Ballal and two others were detained on suspicion of hurling rocks during a confrontation with settlers, a claim he vehemently denies. "I didn't throw stones, I didn't do any problems," he said. His wife, Lamia Ballal, described hearing her husband scream for help as he was beaten outside their home.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences faced backlash for not publicly supporting Ballal during this ordeal. Co-director Yuval Abraham criticized the academy’s silence, noting that several members called for a statement but were rebuffed.

Ballal’s documentary, "No Other Land", highlights the struggles faced by Palestinians in the Masafer Yatta area, where the military seeks to displace residents to establish military training zones. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary earlier this month, an achievement that has been followed by heightened tensions and violence against its creators.

The incident underscores the increasing aggressiveness of settler violence in the West Bank, particularly against those who document or oppose their activities. There has been an alarming rise in such confrontations particularly since the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza, resulting in numerous incidents of violence against local Palestinians without effective intervention from Israeli security forces.

Ballal and his fellow filmmakers hope that by speaking out, they can bring attention to the ongoing situation in their homeland, challenging the narrative surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For full coverage of Ballal's story and the ongoing situation in the West Bank, see coverage from Los Angeles Times and the BBC.