Oscar-winning director attacked in West Bank by Israeli settlers feared he would die

Hamdan Ballal accepted an Oscar as co-director of ‘No Other Land’ just three weeks ago

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An Oscar-winning Palestinian director attacked in the occupied West Bank says he was held overnight in jail by Israeli soldiers who mocked his award between beatings.

Just three weeks ago, Hamdan Ballal was given rapturous applause when he accepted the Academy Award for his film No Other Land.

Now he has spoken out about his ordeal that started on Monday, when his head was “kicked like a football” as he lay in the dirt during a settler attack on his home in the occupied area.

Ballal was attending a gathering for the end of the daily Ramadan fast near Hebron, when a group of masked men attacked him.

Oscar-winning director Hamdan Ballal was attacked by Israeli settlers and detained by Israeli Forces (AFP via Getty Images )

“In that precise moment, I thought about my family, who were at home,” Ballal told The Guardian. ‘‘I ran to them and told my wife, ‘Lock the house and keep the children inside.’ They could have attacked me, but by doing so they wouldn’t have harmed my family.’’

“The soldiers pointed their rifles at me while the settler from behind began beating me,” Ballal said.

“They threw me to the ground, and the settler started hitting me on the head. Then a soldier also began beating me; with the butt of his rifle, he struck me on the head. After that, he fired his weapon in the air. I don’t understand Hebrew, but I gathered that he said the next rifle shot would hit me. In that moment, I thought I was going to die.”

Ballal is detained by the Israeli military from his home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank (AP)

Ballal was dragged from an ambulance by the mob, according to co-director Yuval Abraham.

Israeli soldiers then detained him and two other Palestinians. Ballal said he was kept blindfolded for more than 20 hours, sitting on the floor under a blasting air conditioner.

The soldiers kicked, punched or hit him with a stick whenever they came on their guard shifts, he claimed. Ballal says he heard them saying his name and the word “Oscar”.

A bloodied Ballal receives treatment in hospital (X/Basel_Adra )

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have called his allegations “entirely baseless”.

Doctors at the hospital said Ballal had bruises and scratches all over his body, abrasions under his eye and a cut on his chin but no internal injuries. Two other detained Palestinians had minor injuries.

His co-director Yuval Abraham has hit out at the Academy for failing to protect his colleague or release a statement abhoring the violence against him.

He posted on X: “While Hamdan was clearly targeted for making No Other Land (he recalled soldiers joking about the Oscar as they tortured him), he was also targeted for being Palestinian—like countless others every day who are disregarded.

“This, it seems, gave the Academy an excuse to remain silent when a filmmaker they honored, living under Israeli occupation, needed them the most.”

Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham won the award for best documentary feature film for No Other Land (AP )

An IDF spokesperson said they had reviewed the case and denied claims detainees were beaten during the night.

“IDF forces facilitated medical treatment for the detainees after the initial transfer of the suspects to the Israel police, and throughout the night, the detainees remained in a military detention facility while handcuffed in accordance with operational protocol,” they said.

“Yesterday morning, the three detainees were transferred by the IDF to the Israel Police for questioning on suspicion of rock hurling, property damage, and endangering regional security.

“Following their questioning, the three were released by the police under conditions that include a ban on contact with other individuals involved in the incident and personal bail. During the incident, an Israeli civilian was injured and required medical treatment. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected.”

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