In brief
In a shocking incident on the evening of March 24, 2025, Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, known for his Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," was brutally attacked by a group of masked Israeli settlers in his home village of Susya, located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
According to witness accounts, approximately 20 attackers armed with rocks, sticks, and knives assaulted Ballal, reportedly while local residents were breaking their fast for Ramadan. Joseph Kaplan Weinger, who witnessed the incident and is involved in a volunteer initiative aimed at protecting vulnerable communities, said he tried to alert Israeli soldiers nearby but was blocked from reaching the scene when the military responded.Witnesses noted that the assailants uttered mocking Ramadan greetings as they assaulted the locals, underlining the volatile atmosphere that surrounds Palestinian communities during this sacred month. Following the attack, Ballal was detained, alongside two other Palestinians, by Israeli authorities. Reports indicate they were taken for medical treatment before facing questioning, though the reason for their detention remains unclear.The Israeli military, in its statement, described the event as a response to rock-throwing by Palestinians, labeling the participants as “terrorists,” a term that has become increasingly common in the context of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The incident sheds light on the ongoing tensions and violence faced by Palestinian communities in the West Bank, particularly during critical cultural and religious periods.
