Oscar-winning Palestinian director detained by Israel

(From left) Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham pose with their Oscar. PIC/X/@frontrowfilmsME

Israeli settlers beat up one of the Palestinian co-directors of the Oscar-winning documentary film No Other Land on Monday in the occupied West Bank before he was detained by the Israeli military, according to two of his fellow directors and other witnesses.

The filmmaker Hamdan Ballal was one of three Palestinians detained in the village of Susiya, according to attorney Lea Tsemel, who is representing them. Police told her they were being held at a military base for medical treatment, but she said on Tuesday morning that she had not been able to reach them and had no further information on their whereabouts.

Basel Adra, another co-director, witnessed the detention and said around two dozen settlers some masked, some carrying guns, and some in Israeli uniform attacked the village. Soldiers who arrived pointed their guns at the Palestinians, while settlers continued throwing stones. We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us, Adra told The Associated Press. This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment.

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