Days after winning an Academy Award for Best Documentary, Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal found himself at the center of a violent incident in his West Bank village. The incident that ended with his arrest, injuries, and images of him zip-tied and blindfolded as his family prayed during Ramadan.
Raviv Rose, a 24-year-old Jewish American activist with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, described the shocking scene.
“We Saw Him Zip-Tied and Bleeding”
According to Rose, Ballal and two other men, Khaled Mohammad Shanran and Nasser Shreteh, were attacked by a group of settlers before being arrested by Israeli forces on Monday night. “There was a pool of his blood outside the front door,” she said, describing the moment they arrived at Ballal’s home during Iftar, the evening meal to break the fast during Ramadan.
“His family was praying… I’m not even sure if they had eaten,” Rose recalled. “We could see the three Palestinians — Hamdan Ballal, Khaled Mohammad Shanran, and Nasser Shreteh — zip-tied and blindfolded being put into an army vehicle.”
Attack Began with Settlers, Activists Say
Rose said the group had received word of an incident in Susiya and went to investigate. On the way, their vehicle was attacked by settlers with stones, sticks, and clubs, she claimed.
“We were trying to draw the attention of the army… they refused to do anything,” she said. “They stoned the car to the point of destruction.”
Rose said settlers had allegedly begun the attack by destroying property, including a water tank and a car, near Ballal’s home. When he tried to intervene, he was reportedly beaten.
Police Response and Allegations of Bias
According to Rose, Israeli police treated her group like “criminals,” demanding IDs and registration, but offering no immediate assistance. They were told to file complaints at a station the next morning.
She emphasized that such violence is commonplace in Masafer Yatta but is only gaining attention now due to Ballal’s Oscar win. “This story is getting so much buzz because now Hamdan has an Oscar,” Rose said, “but in a very real way… there have been four attacks on a similar scale since the Oscars alone.”
IDF Offers Contradictory Account
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement contradicting Rose’s account. According to the military, the incident began when “several terrorists hurled rocks at Israeli citizens”, damaging vehicles. The IDF said both settlers and Palestinians threw rocks at one another, and when security forces arrived, “several terrorists began hurling rocks at the security forces.”
They confirmed that three Palestinians were detained, but did not comment directly on Ballal’s injuries or treatment.
The Oscar-Winning Film and Its Relevance
Ballal is a co-director of No Other Land, a documentary that won Best Documentary at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2. Co-directed by two Palestinians and two Israelis, including journalist Yuval Abraham. The film captures the story of forced Palestinian displacement in Masafer Yatta from 2019 to 2023, including the unique friendship that formed across political divides.
Despite its Oscar success, No Other Land has yet to find a U.S. distributor.
Ballal Released After Detention
Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham, who has been publicly updating Ballal’s status, confirmed on Tuesday that Ballal had been released. Photos and footage from the scene have reportedly been verified by The Hollywood Reporter.
Ballal has not yet spoken publicly, and his lawyer has been approached for comment.
