Palestinian behind Oscar-winning documentary lynched by Israeli settlers, arrested
The Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land" was lynched by settlers and arrested by the Israeli army on Monday in the occupied West Bank, according to his co-director Yuval Abraham.
In a post on X, Abraham said a "group of settlers" had set upon Ballal.
"They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since," Abraham wrote.
The incident took place in the southern West Bank village of Susiya, according to the anti-occupation NGO Center for Jewish Nonviolence, whose members said they filmed the events first-hand.
The army said it was verifying the information when questioned by AFP.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
"No Other Land", which was directed by Israeli-Palestinian activists, won best documentary at this year's Academy Awards.
Shot in nearby Masafer Yatta, the documentary follows a young Palestinian struggling with forced displacement as the Israeli army tears down his community's homes to make space for a firing zone.
The Israeli army declared Masafer Yatta a restricted military zone in the 1980s.
The West Bank, excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, is home to around three million Palestinians as well as nearly half a million Israelis who live in settlements that are illegal under international law.
No Other Land
Earlier in March, in a groundbreaking moment at the 2025 Academy Awards, No Other Land, a documentary co-directed by Palestinian journalist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, won Best Documentary Feature. This marks Palestine’s first-ever Oscar win, a historic triumph for the filmmakers and their cause.
The film sheds light on the struggles of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, a West Bank village facing demolition by Israeli forces. Adra, at the heart of the documentary, risks his safety to document the destruction of his homeland, while Abraham, a Jewish-Israeli journalist, joins him in amplifying the story. The powerful collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers stood out among nominees Porcelain War, Sugarcane, Black Box Diaries, and Soundtrack to a Coup d’État.
During an emotional acceptance speech, Adra reflected on the ongoing hardships faced by Palestinians. “About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now, always fearing settler violence, home demolitions, and forced displacements,” he said. “We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.”
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