Palestinian Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal detained amid West Bank unrest: Reports

Dubai: Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker who co-directed the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has been reportedly detained in the occupied West Bank following a violent clash between Israeli settlers and Palestinians, according to activists.

As reported by the BBC, the incident occurred in the village of Susya on Monday evening, when masked settlers allegedly launched an attack around 6pm local time.

Five Jewish American activists present at the scene said they were also targeted, with their vehicle windows smashed and some among them assaulted with sticks and fists.

According to the activists, Ballal's home was surrounded during the assault. His co-director, Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham, claimed Ballal was injured and later taken by Israeli soldiers while in an ambulance—though this account has been challenged by Israeli authorities.

In a statement as reported by BBC, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not name Ballal directly but confirmed that “three Palestinians and an Israeli civilian” had been detained on suspicion of “rock hurling” at security forces. The army said they had intervened to break up the confrontation, which escalated when stones were allegedly thrown at troops. One Israeli civilian was reportedly injured and taken for medical treatment.

Abraham, who jointly accepted the Oscar with Ballal earlier this month, described the scene as one involving injuries and destruction to property. The pair’s documentary, No Other Land, which won Best Documentary at the 97th Academy Awards, chronicles the decades-long land dispute in Masafer Yatta, a Palestinian community made up of about 20 villages in the South Hebron Hills.

Ballal’s current whereabouts remain unclear, and activists are calling for his immediate release.