Oscar-winning filmmaker Hamdan Ballal released following West Bank arrest

Hamdan Ballal, one of the directors behind the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has been released by Israeli forces after being detained overnight following a violent confrontation in the West Bank village of Masafer Yatta.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Ballal was arrested on suspicion of throwing stones at soldiers during clashes between Palestinians and Israelis near the village of Sussiya, located in the South Hebron Hills. Three Palestinians and one Israeli were detained, according to the IDF.

The military stated that “several assailants threw stones at Israeli civilians, damaging their vehicles”, leading to “a violent confrontation… involving mutual rock-throwing”. Upon arrival, IDF and police personnel were also targeted with stones, the statement said, prompting the arrests.

Ballal’s arrest came just weeks after he appeared onstage at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood to accept the Oscar for Best Documentary. No Other Land, which was co-directed with Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, explores the demolitions and displacement facing Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, a region at the heart of long-standing disputes over land and settlement expansion.

Yuval Abraham, who was reportedly with Ballal’s family at the time of the incident, claimed on X that Ballal was attacked in his home by settlers before being taken from an ambulance by Israeli soldiers. “Hamdan, co-director of our film No Other Land, is still missing after soldiers abducted him, injured and bleeding,” he wrote on Monday night.

The IDF denied claims that Ballal was removed from an ambulance, saying the arrests took place during the confrontation itself. “The detainees were taken for further questioning by Israeli police,” a spokesperson added.

On Tuesday, Abraham confirmed Ballal’s release posting: “After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family.”

He said that the incident was part of “a long-standing campaign to expel the residents of Masafer Yatta to make way for settlements”, which he claimed is “backed by the army”.

The documentary has sparked controversy in both Israeli and Palestinian circles. While it has been praised by human rights groups, Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar criticised the film as “sabotage against the State of Israel”, while a prominent BDS group also condemned its message.