Oscar-Winning Palestinian Director Attacked By Israeli Settlers, Detained by Army

Basel Adra, another co-director of No Other Land, witnessed the incident and described a chaotic scene. He stated that around two dozen settlers—some masked, some armed, and some wearing Israeli uniforms—attacked the village. When soldiers arrived, they reportedly pointed their guns at the Palestinians while the settlers continued throwing stones.

“We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us. This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment," Adra told The Associated Press.

The Israeli military stated that it had detained three Palestinians suspected of throwing rocks at soldiers, along with one Israeli civilian involved in what they described as a “violent confrontation" between Israelis and Palestinians. However, witnesses interviewed by the Associated Press disputed this claim. The military added that the detainees were handed over to the Israeli police for questioning and that an Israeli citizen was evacuated for medical treatment.

No Other Land, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary this year, captures the struggle of Masafer Yatta residents fighting against the Israeli military’s attempts to demolish their villages.

Palestinian filmmakers Hamdan Ballal and Basel Adra, both from Masafer Yatta, co-directed the film alongside Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. Since its premiere, the documentary has won multiple international awards, beginning with the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024. However, it has also faced backlash, including controversy in Miami Beach, where officials considered revoking a movie theatre’s lease after it screened the film.

Adra recounted that the attack took place on Monday evening, just after residents had broken their fast for Ramzan. He claimed that a settler, who has allegedly targeted the village before, approached Ballal’s home, accompanied by Israeli soldiers. Shots were fired into the air, and soon after, Ballal’s wife heard him being beaten outside, his cries of “I’m dying" ringing through the night.

Adra then witnessed Ballal, blindfolded and handcuffed, being taken away by soldiers in a military vehicle. Speaking to the AP, he described how traces of Ballal’s blood were still visible outside his home. Another eyewitness, speaking anonymously out of fear of reprisal, corroborated parts of Adra’s account.

According to Josh Kimelman, an activist with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, a group of 10-20 masked settlers armed with stones and sticks attacked activists at the scene. They smashed car windows and slashed tires, forcing them to flee the area.

A video provided by the organisation captures the chaotic moment—a masked settler can be seen shoving and swinging at two activists in a dusty field at night. As the activists scramble back to their car, the sound of rocks pelting the vehicle echoes in the background.

This violence unfolded in the occupied West Bank, a region Israel seized during the 1967 Mideast war, alongside Gaza and east Jerusalem. Palestinians see these territories as the foundation of their future state and view expanding Israeli settlements as a serious threat to achieving a two-state solution.

(With inputs from AP)