MANILA, Philippines – Hamdan Ballal, the co-director of Oscar-winning documentary film No Other Land, was attacked by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and then later detained by Israeli soldiers, reports indicate.
Reports from CNN and the Associated Press said Israeli settlers beat Ballal up on Monday, March 24.
CNN, citing Ballal’s co-director Basal Adra, said Israeli soldiers later took Ballal and at least one other person away. The Israeli military said 3 Palestinians and an Israeli were taken in for questioning following a “violent confrontation” in which Palestinians and Israelis were throwing rocks at each other.
The Associated Press, citing attorney Lea Tsemel, said Ballal was one of 3 people detained in the village of Susiya, in the West Bank.
Tsemel added she hasn’t been able to speak with the detainees, with police asserting they’re being held at a military base for medical treatment.
In a statement, the International Documentary Association demanded “Ballal’s immediate release and that his family and community be informed about his condition, location, and the justification for his detention.”
No Other Land recounts the ongoing struggles of Adra’s attempts to resist the forced displacement of his people by the Israeli army in the West Bank community of Masafer Yatta. The film shows Israeli soldiers tearing down homes and evicting residents to create a military training zone. – Rappler.com