Hamdan Ballal, Oscar-winning director, has been missing. The Palestinian filmmaker who co-directed the documentary No Other Land with Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature this year for the film that delves into Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.
Yuval took to social media to share that a group of settlers lynched Hamdan and abducted him from the ambulance he called for himself. His tweet read, “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film no other land. 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.”
A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co director of our film no other land. 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.
— Yuval Abraham יוב×ÂÂœ ×ÂÂÂÂ�בר×”×ÂÂÂÂ� (@yuval_abraham) March 24, 2025
As per the Associated Press, he got beaten up by Israeli settlers and a group of 10-20 masked settlers attacked him and other Jewish activists with stones and sticks, smashed their car windows and slashed their tyres.
Yuval also shared a video where masked men can be seen throwing stones at a car, after which everything goes black. He added, “The group of armed KKK-like masked settlers that lynched No Other Land director Hamdan Ballal (still missing), caught here on camera.”
The group of armed KKK-like masked settlers that lynched No Other Land director Hamdan Ballal (still missing), caught here on camera. pic.twitter.com/kFGFxSEanY
— Yuval Abraham יוב×ÂÂœ ×ÂÂÂÂ�בר×”×ÂÂÂÂ� (@yuval_abraham) March 24, 2025
This incident has drawn a lot of criticism from netizens on social media. One comment read, “Punished for revealing Israel’s true face to the world!”
Another user added, “This is a grave human rights violation.” Demanding an answer and accountability, another netizen commented, “This is horrifying. Hamdan Ballal’s bravery in exposing settler violence through No Other Land clearly struck a nerve—but this attack and abduction are beyond unjust. We need answers now: where is Hamdan? The world must demand his release and hold those responsible accountable”
About No Other Land
The Israeli Palestinian documentary No Other Land is a collaboration between Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Jewish Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham. It follows the two as they navigate their people’s long-standing conflict. The documentary captures Adra’s resistance against the Israeli armed force’s displacement of Palestinians in Masafar Yatta, a community in the West Bank. It also highlights scenes of Israeli soldiers demolishing homes and evicting residents to make way for a military training zone.
It has been co-directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
Calling for a solution without ethnic supremacy, Yuval said in his acceptance speech, “There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people.”
Also Read: Israel-Palestinian Documentary Film No Other Land Wins Oscar
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