Oscar-winning co-director of the documentary No Other Land, Hamdan Ballal has been released after being detained by the Israeli army.
Ballal’s co-director, Yuval Abraham, was giving updates on the situation on X and confirmed the director's release.
“After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family,” he posted.
Ballal spoke with the Associated Press (AP) about the ordeal, saying he believes he was specifically targeted.
“I realised they were attacking me specifically,” he told AP.
“When they say ‘Oscar', you understand. When they say your name, you understand.”
According to AP, Ballal returned with a bruised face and clothes spotted in blood after being heavily beaten by an Isreali settler.
The documentary Ballal directed depicted the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta and explored the struggle of living under Israeli occupation.
The three million Palestenians who live in the West Bank are under seemingly open-ended Israeli rule as the war in Gaza sparks a surge of violence in the West Bank.
Ballal identified Shem Tov Luski, who has threatened the director in the past, as his attacker. According to AP, Luski has denied the claims.
Human rights group, Amnesty International has called for accountability on X.
“Hamdan Ballal was forcibly disappeared by Israeli soldiers after having been assaulted by Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in Susyia, a village in the occupied West Bank,” the post said.
“He has now been released, but those who carried out the attacks must be held accountable.”
According to the Israeli military, three Palestinians were detained for throwing rocks at forces, while one Israeli civilian was arrested for participating in a violent confrontation.
