Hamdan Ballal Released After Assault by Settlers, Detention by Israeli Forces

Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker and co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land,' was released after being detained by Israeli forces following an alleged attack by settlers in the West Bank. Reports indicate that Ballal was beaten and arrested after calling an ambulance for himself, having sustained injuries during the assault by masked settlers. His co-director, Yuval Abraham, initially described the incident as a lynching, later clarifying that the term was a mistranslation. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged a violent confrontation occurred, involving stone-throwing from both Palestinians and Israelis, but denied the claims about Ballal being taken from an ambulance. The incident has drawn widespread attention, leading to a petition for his release signed by nearly 7,000 filmmakers. Ballal's wife described witnessing part of the attack, expressing fear that such violence has escalated since their film's success at the Oscars.