Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker who co-directed the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, recently shared a harrowing experience he faced in the occupied West Bank. Just weeks after celebrating his film’s victory, Ballal encountered violence at home in Susiya.
On a Monday evening during Ramadan, as he was documenting an attack by settlers on a neighbor, things escalated quickly. Realizing the danger, Ballal started to head back home. But a familiar settler and two Israeli soldiers followed him. Outside his house, they assaulted him.
“They held a gun to me,” Ballal recounted, visibly shaken. The settler struck him repeatedly, and along with the soldiers, he faced a brutal beating. "I thought I would die," he said, detailing how he felt outnumbered and helpless as they targeted his head.
This attack is reported amid ongoing tensions in the region. Since the onset of the war on Gaza that began on October 7, 2023, Ballal believes settlers are operating with more impunity. “The army here acts like they’re part of the settlers,” he observed.
The situation in the West Bank has become increasingly dire. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, over 884 Palestinians have lost their lives due to violence from soldiers and settlers since the conflict escalated. Additionally, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reports that around 15,700 Palestinians have been detained in this timeframe.
In the context of this violence, No Other Land shines a spotlight on the struggles faced by Palestinians, documenting the often overlooked reality of settler violence. The documentary explores the plight of communities in the Masafer Yatta area, where families frequently confront threats of eviction and violence.
As these events unfold, social media reactions reveal a growing international concern over the treatment of Palestinians. Users are sharing their outrage and calling attention to the need for justice and accountability. This underscores a broader dialogue about human rights and the ongoing conflict in the region.
For further details on the humanitarian situation in Palestine, you can refer to reports by organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the United Nations. These sources provide valuable insights and data on the ongoing impact of the conflict on everyday lives.
Check out this related article: Behind the Scenes of Federal Workers’ Return to the Office: Rats, Card Tables, and the BYO Toilet Paper Challenge!
Source linkNews, Conflict, Israel-Palestine conflict, Occupied West Bank, Israel, Middle East, Palestine
