Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land', reported a brutal attack by Israeli settlers on his home in Masafer Yatta. During the incident, the filmmaker's brother was seriously injured and hospitalized. This is another act of violence against the Ballal family, who have been documenting evictions and military actions in the West Bank for years. The security situation in the region remains critical.
The co-director of the acclaimed documentary 'No Other Land', Hamdan Ballal, has become the victim of another brutal attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The incident occurred in the town of Masafer Yatta, where Ballal and his family have been resisting eviction attempts for years. The assailants broke into the property, attacking the residents. As a result of the assault, the director's brother sustained serious injuries and had to be hospitalized. Additionally, the filmmaker reported that members of his family were detained by Israeli authorities after the incident. Ballal emphasizes that violence from settlers has intensified in the past year, and the current situation is worse than ever before. Masafer Yatta is an area in the southern West Bank that has been the subject of legal dispute since the 1980s. Israel declared this area a military zone (so-called Firing Zone 918), which has led to numerous demolition orders for Palestinian homes and attempts to forcibly remove residents. The film 'No Other Land', which won the Oscar in 2025 for Best Documentary Feature, accurately portrays systemic violence and the struggle for land rights. Hamdan Ballal, together with Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, created a work that shook world public opinion, showing daily life under occupation. In his recent statements, the director expressed deep frustration at the lack of response from the international community to violations of law. <cytat autor=