ENTERTAINMENT NEWS – Oscar-winning director of “No Other Land” attacked by Israeli settlers and detained by Israeli soldiers

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

Hamdan Ballal, one of the directors of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was attacked by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank on Monday. According to an eyewitness, Ballal was attacked by settlers, and was then detained by Israeli forces and released on Tuesday. Nasser Nawajay lived in the Palestinian village of Susiya and said that a group of masked Israeli settlers came on Monday evening as people were getting ready to break the daily fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Nawajay said settlers attacked houses, smashed cars, and attacked people and Ballal was one of the people who was a victim. 

Witnesses said that after the attack, the Israeli military arrived and detained Ballal along with others. Ballal was reportedly accused of throwing stones at security forces. Several witnesses deny the military’s claims and reported that Ballal was not violent throughout the entire attack. Ballal has since been released.