Calls have grown for the release of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal — the co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land — after his co-director said he had been assaulted by settlers and taken away by soldiers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they detained Ballal, along with two other Palestinians, on suspicion of throwing rocks during a clash near Susya in the West Bank, Israeli media reported.

Newsweek has reached out to the IDF for comment.

Why It Matters

The incident has drawn attention to the high tensions in the West Bank, which have escalated alongside Israel’s war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians seek both territories for an eventual state, but the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank in the decades since Israel captured the territories in the 1967 Middle East war has complicated prospects for peace. Most countries regard the settlements as illegal.

Hamdan Ballal (l) and Rachel Szor, winners of the Best Documentary Feature Film for “No Other Land”, attend the 97th Annual Oscars Governors Ball at Ovation Hollywood Complex on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California. Hamdan Ballal (l) and Rachel Szor, winners of the Best Documentary Feature Film for “No Other Land”, attend the 97th Annual Oscars Governors Ball at Ovation Hollywood Complex on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images

What We Know

Ballal was attacked by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, according to Israeli media reports that quoted anti-settlement activists and his Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham.

“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,” Abraham posted to his X account.

The IDF has denied allegations that soldiers entered the ambulance where Ballal was receiving treatment before taking him into custody, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The military said that “terrorists” threw rocks at Israeli citizens near Susya, damaging vehicles and sparking a violent clash and rock-throwing between Palestinians and Israelis. Security forces intervened, arresting three Palestinians and one Israeli civilian. An Israeli citizen was injured and taken for medical treatment, The Jerusalem Post added.

Was Ballal Lynched?

Both Abraham and fellow collaborator Basel Adra initially reported Ballal was “lynched” but Abraham later said he had mis-translated from Hebrew to English and it was not the case that he had been killed.

No Other Land has generated considerable debate over its depiction of Israeli-Palestinian relations since the film was officially released on January 15, 2025, following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2024.

What People Are Saying

Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham on X: “Note: Hamdan was assaulted and beaten up, not murdered. My use of ‘lynched’ was a mistranslation from Hebrew (English isn’t my first language). He’s injured and being held at a police station in a settlement. They did not let his lawyer speak to him yet so we don’t know more.”

Palestinian Activist Basel Adra on X: “I’m standing with Karam, Hamdan’s 7 year old son, near the blood of Hamdan’s in his house, after settlers lynched him. Hamdan, co-director of our film No Other Land, is still missing after soldiers abducted him, injured and bleeding. This is how they erase Masafer Yatta.”

International Documentary Association: “We demand Ballal’s immediate release and that his family and community be informed about his condition, location, and the justification for his detention.”

What Happens Next

It is unclear whether Ballal is being charged and activists say details of his detention remain unknown.

(L-R) Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, winners of the Best Documentary Feature Film for “No Other Land”, posing in the press room at The 97th Academy Award held by the Academy of… (L-R) Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, winners of the Best Documentary Feature Film for “No Other Land”, posing in the press room at The 97th Academy Award held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Sthanlee B. Mirador/AP Images