Palestinian Oscar-winning filmmaker Hamdan Ballal attacked by masked settlers in Susya

Hamdan Ballal, codirector of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was assaulted by masked Israeli settlers in his West Bank village of Susya. The attack occurred on Monday evening, with Ballal sustaining head and stomach injuries. According to his wife Lamia Ballal, she heard screams and witnessed three uniformed men beating her husband. Yuval Abraham, Ballal's filmmaking partner, alleged collusion between settlers and Israeli security forces, stating soldiers invaded the ambulance called for Ballal and took him away. The Center for Jewish Nonviolence reported that 10-20 masked settlers attacked Ballal and other activists with stones and sticks, damaging vehicles. Ballal and two other Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces at a police station, accused of throwing stones at a settler—charges they deny. They were released on 25 March after spending a night on the floor of a military base, according to lawyer Lea Tsemel. The Israeli Defence Force claimed its forces arrived to disperse a confrontation where several terrorists began hurling rocks. Diana Buttu, a Palestinian lawyer, warned Ballal might face retaliation from the Israeli military. No Other Land documents a Palestinian family's experience of home destruction in the West Bank. Gaza's Health Ministry reported 792 deaths and 1,663 injuries in the week since Israel resumed its war against Palestine.