Anita Ogona
The best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards tells the story of forced displacement of Palestinians by Israeli troops and settlers in Masafer Yatta — an area Israel had declared a restricted military zone in the 1980s.
Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal released by the Israeli police and is currently in the hospital in Hebron receiving treatment. Photo: @basel_adra/X
Israeli police released Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal on Tuesday, after detaining him a day earlier for “hurling rocks” following what activists described as an attack by settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Basel Adra, who worked with Ballal on the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land”, posted a photo of Ballal on X after his release with blood stains on his shirt.
“After I won the Oscar, I did not expect to be exposed to such attacks,” Ballal said in a video by AFPTV.
“It was a very strong attack and the goal was to kill.”
Hamdan has been released and is currently in the hospital in Hebron receiving treatment. He was beaten by soldiers and settlers all over his body. The soldiers left him blindfolded and handcuffed throughout the military base last night. pic.twitter.com/Eis0J3CS24
According to the Israeli military, three Palestinians were apprehended on Monday for “hurling rocks” during a confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians in the southern West Bank village of Susya.
“Following this, a violent confrontation broke out, involving mutual rock hurling between Palestinians and Israelis,” the military statement said.
The village is located near Masafer Yatta, a grouping of hamlets south of Hebron city where “No Other Land” is set.
The best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards tells the story of forced displacement of Palestinians by Israeli troops and settlers in Masafer Yatta — an area Israel had declared a restricted military zone in the 1980s.
A police spokesperson confirmed Ballal had been detained, while a later statement from the force said three people had been released on bail.
The statement said they were being investigated “on suspicion of rock hurling, property damage and endangering regional security”.
