Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal is finally released. The co-director of award-winning documentary No Other Land, was detained by Israeli military after an episode of violence took place in West Bank. 

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Hamdan was among three arrested on the accusation of them participating in violence and throwing stones on Israeli settlers in the region. 

Israeli director Yuval Abraham who worked with Hamsan Ballal on the documentary revealed today that Ballal has been released. He wrote on X,  “After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family.”

Yuval had earlier revealed that Hamdan was among the men detained by military. At the time, he wrote, “He has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding.” 

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Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal attacked by Israeli settlers, detained by military

About the incident

The violence took place on Monday night in the village of Susiya, which is Hamdan Ballal’s hometown. As the residents of the village encouraged a single settler to leave, dozens — some masked men with weapons started attacking a few homes. 

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The IDF, however, said that the violence started after “several terrorists hurled rocks at Israeli citizens, damaging their vehicles.” Both sides began throwing rocks at one another. As a result, three Palestinians were detained after the conflict. Ballal was one of them. 

Before his release, a coalition of major documentary filmmakers including Roger Ross Williams, Alex Gibney, Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan, Ezra Edelman, Dawn Porter and Rory Kennedy launched a petition calling for the immediate release of Ballal that was signed by thousands.

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

About No Other Land

No Other Land is directed by four filmmakers — two Israeli, two Palestinian. It won Oscar for best documentary at the 97th annual Academy Awards on March 2. The film documents the forced displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, as well as a budding friendship between a Palestinian activist and Israeli journalist, between 2019 and 2023.