A Night of Chaos in Susya
Imagine you’re just sitting down to dinner with your family after a long day, and suddenly, a mob shows up at your door masked, armed, and ready to wreck everything. That’s what happened to Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker, on Monday night in his village of Susya in the West Bank. It’s March 25, 2025, and the news just broke that he’s been freed after a terrifying 24 hours. But what went down? How does a guy who just won an Oscar end up beaten, arrested, and then let go like this? It’s a story that’s got people talking and honestly, it’s hard not to feel shaken by it.
Hamdan’s not your average guy. He’s one of the co-directors of No Other Land, a documentary that snagged Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars earlier this month. The film’s all about life under Israeli occupation in Masafer Yatta, a cluster of villages in the South Hebron Hills where Susya sits. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s told by a team of Palestinian and Israeli activists Hamdan included who’ve been shining a light on what’s happening there. So when word got out that he’d been attacked by Israeli settlers and then hauled off by the military, it hit like a ton of bricks. This isn’t just some random clash; it feels personal, tied to the very work he’s poured his life into.
The Attack That Started It All
Here’s how it went down, based on what people who were there are saying. Monday evening, right as folks in Susya were breaking their Ramadan fast, a group of settlers some masked, some with guns, maybe a dozen or more rolled into the village. It wasn’t a friendly visit. They started throwing stones, smashing cars, and going after people’s homes. Hamdan’s place got hit hard. Witnesses say he was trying to protect his wife and three kids, standing at his door to keep the attackers out. That’s when things turned ugly. A settler clocked him in the head, and he went down. They didn’t stop there kicks, punches, the works. His wife, Lamia, later said she heard him screaming, “I’m dying!” while she huddled inside with the kids, scared out of her mind.
Then the Israeli military showed up. You’d think they’d break it up, right? But instead, they grabbed Hamdan bleeding and beat up and two other Palestinians, blindfolded them, and took them away. The settlers? They mostly walked off, free as you please. The army’s line is that this was a “violent clash” with “mutual stone-throwing,” and they detained the three Palestinians for chucking rocks at security forces. But folks on the ground neighbors, activists say that’s nonsense. They insist Hamdan wasn’t throwing anything; he was just trying to shield his family. Either way, he spent the night in custody, handcuffed, blindfolded, and, according to his lawyer, roughed up some more by soldiers. It’s the kind of story that makes your stomach turn.
Released But at What Cost?
Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon, March 25. Hamdan and the two others walked out of a police station in Kiryat Arba, an Israeli settlement nearby. He was bruised, dehydrated, and had blood on his clothes, but he was free no charges, just conditions like not contacting certain people involved. He headed to a hospital in Hebron for a checkup, then insisted on going home to his family. You can imagine the relief his co-director Yuval Abraham, an Israeli who’s been vocal about this, posted that Hamdan was finally heading back to Susya. But relief doesn’t erase what happened. There’s bloodstains outside his house, a busted-up car, and a water tank slashed open by settlers. It’s a mess, and it’s not like this is new for him or his village.
See, Susya’s been a hotspot for settler attacks for years, and it’s gotten worse since the war in Gaza kicked off in 2023. Activists say there’ve been dozens of incidents just this year stone-throwing, livestock theft, straight-up assaults. Hamdan’s been on the receiving end before; he’s talked about settlers messing with his land, trying to push him out. And now, fresh off an Oscar win that put Masafer Yatta on the global stage, this happens. His wife thinks it’s no coincidence. “After the Oscar, they’ve come to attack us more,” she said. It’s hard not to wonder if this was payback for telling a story Israel’s government didn’t want told.
The Film That Stirred the Pot
Let’s talk about No Other Land for a sec, because it’s key to all this. The film’s a gut-punch a look at how Palestinians in Masafer Yatta are fighting to stay on their land while the Israeli military tears down homes and settlers harass them nonstop. Hamdan, Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, and Rachel Szor put it together as a team, crossing lines most people wouldn’t dare to. When they won that Oscar, they stood up there and called for an end to the violence in Gaza and the West Bank. It was a big moment millions saw it, and the film’s been racking up praise everywhere. But it’s also pissed off a lot of people. Israel’s culture minister called it “a sad moment for cinema.” You can bet that didn’t sit well with the settlers or the hardline folks who back them.
Hamdan’s not just a director; he’s a farmer, a dad, a guy who’s lived this stuff his whole life. Making the film was his way of shouting to the world, “Hey, this is happening!” And now, it’s like the world’s watching him get punished for it. Basel Adra, another co-director who was there that night, said it felt “horrific” settlers and soldiers working together, guns pointed at Palestinians while the attack went down. He thinks it’s revenge for the movie. “We came back from the Oscars, and every day since, there’s an attack on us,” he told reporters. It’s a chilling thought: win an award, get a target on your back.
What’s the Bigger Picture?
This isn’t just about Hamdan, though. It’s about what’s been going on in the West Bank for ages, especially lately. Since October 2023, settler violence has spiked human rights groups say it’s the worst it’s been in decades. The UN’s tracked hundreds of attacks: homes torched, olive trees ripped up, people beaten or killed. And most of the time, the Israeli military either stands by or steps in against the Palestinians, not the settlers. It’s a pattern Susya’s just one dot on a map full of them. The settlers, some armed and backed by outposts deemed illegal under international law, act like they own the place. And too often, they get away with it.
For Hamdan’s village, it’s a daily grind. They’re in a spot the Israeli military’s claimed as a training zone since the ‘80s, pushing to clear out the residents. About a thousand people are holding on, but it’s rough demolitions, harassment, you name it. Hamdan’s been documenting this for years, and No Other Land was his megaphone. Now, it’s like the settlers and soldiers are trying to smash that megaphone and him along with it.
The World’s Reaction and What’s Next?
Word of Hamdan’s attack spread fast. Film folks, activists, even regular people online were calling for his release, demanding answers. Amnesty International jumped in, saying this was a “forcible disappearance” and pushing for accountability. After he got out, the relief was palpable, but so was the anger. How does this keep happening? Why’s there no real punishment for the settlers? The Israeli military’s sticking to their story rock-throwing, violent clash, blah blah but it’s tough to buy when you hear from Hamdan’s family and neighbors that he was just defending his home.
So where does this leave him? He’s back with his kids now, probably trying to process what happened. But he’s not the type to back down making that film took guts, and living in Susya takes even more. For the rest of us, it’s a wake-up call. This isn’t some distant conflict; it’s real people getting hurt for telling their truth. Hamdan’s free, yeah, but the settlers are still out there, and the system that let this slide isn’t changing anytime soon
Imagine you’re just sitting down to dinner with your family after a long day, and suddenly, a mob shows up at your door masked, armed, and ready to wreck everything. That’s what happened to Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker, on Monday night in his village of Susya in the West Bank. It’s March 25, 2025, and the news just broke that he’s been freed after a terrifying 24 hours. But what went down? How does a guy who just won an Oscar end up beaten, arrested, and then let go like this? It’s a story that’s got people talking and honestly, it’s hard not to feel shaken by it.
Hamdan’s not your average guy. He’s one of the co-directors of No Other Land, a documentary that snagged Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars earlier this month. The film’s all about life under Israeli occupation in Masafer Yatta, a cluster of villages in the South Hebron Hills where Susya sits. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s told by a team of Palestinian and Israeli activists Hamdan included who’ve been shining a light on what’s happening there. So when word got out that he’d been attacked by Israeli settlers and then hauled off by the military, it hit like a ton of bricks. This isn’t just some random clash; it feels personal, tied to the very work he’s poured his life into.
The Attack That Started It All
Here’s how it went down, based on what people who were there are saying. Monday evening, right as folks in Susya were breaking their Ramadan fast, a group of settlers some masked, some with guns, maybe a dozen or more rolled into the village. It wasn’t a friendly visit. They started throwing stones, smashing cars, and going after people’s homes. Hamdan’s place got hit hard. Witnesses say he was trying to protect his wife and three kids, standing at his door to keep the attackers out. That’s when things turned ugly. A settler clocked him in the head, and he went down. They didn’t stop there kicks, punches, the works. His wife, Lamia, later said she heard him screaming, “I’m dying!” while she huddled inside with the kids, scared out of her mind.
Then the Israeli military showed up. You’d think they’d break it up, right? But instead, they grabbed Hamdan bleeding and beat up and two other Palestinians, blindfolded them, and took them away. The settlers? They mostly walked off, free as you please. The army’s line is that this was a “violent clash” with “mutual stone-throwing,” and they detained the three Palestinians for chucking rocks at security forces. But folks on the ground neighbors, activists say that’s nonsense. They insist Hamdan wasn’t throwing anything; he was just trying to shield his family. Either way, he spent the night in custody, handcuffed, blindfolded, and, according to his lawyer, roughed up some more by soldiers. It’s the kind of story that makes your stomach turn.
Released But at What Cost?
Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon, March 25. Hamdan and the two others walked out of a police station in Kiryat Arba, an Israeli settlement nearby. He was bruised, dehydrated, and had blood on his clothes, but he was free no charges, just conditions like not contacting certain people involved. He headed to a hospital in Hebron for a checkup, then insisted on going home to his family. You can imagine the relief his co-director Yuval Abraham, an Israeli who’s been vocal about this, posted that Hamdan was finally heading back to Susya. But relief doesn’t erase what happened. There’s bloodstains outside his house, a busted-up car, and a water tank slashed open by settlers. It’s a mess, and it’s not like this is new for him or his village.
See, Susya’s been a hotspot for settler attacks for years, and it’s gotten worse since the war in Gaza kicked off in 2023. Activists say there’ve been dozens of incidents just this year stone-throwing, livestock theft, straight-up assaults. Hamdan’s been on the receiving end before; he’s talked about settlers messing with his land, trying to push him out. And now, fresh off an Oscar win that put Masafer Yatta on the global stage, this happens. His wife thinks it’s no coincidence. “After the Oscar, they’ve come to attack us more,” she said. It’s hard not to wonder if this was payback for telling a story Israel’s government didn’t want told.
The Film That Stirred the Pot
Let’s talk about No Other Land for a sec, because it’s key to all this. The film’s a gut-punch a look at how Palestinians in Masafer Yatta are fighting to stay on their land while the Israeli military tears down homes and settlers harass them nonstop. Hamdan, Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, and Rachel Szor put it together as a team, crossing lines most people wouldn’t dare to. When they won that Oscar, they stood up there and called for an end to the violence in Gaza and the West Bank. It was a big moment millions saw it, and the film’s been racking up praise everywhere. But it’s also pissed off a lot of people. Israel’s culture minister called it “a sad moment for cinema.” You can bet that didn’t sit well with the settlers or the hardline folks who back them.
Hamdan’s not just a director; he’s a farmer, a dad, a guy who’s lived this stuff his whole life. Making the film was his way of shouting to the world, “Hey, this is happening!” And now, it’s like the world’s watching him get punished for it. Basel Adra, another co-director who was there that night, said it felt “horrific” settlers and soldiers working together, guns pointed at Palestinians while the attack went down. He thinks it’s revenge for the movie. “We came back from the Oscars, and every day since, there’s an attack on us,” he told reporters. It’s a chilling thought: win an award, get a target on your back.
What’s the Bigger Picture?
This isn’t just about Hamdan, though. It’s about what’s been going on in the West Bank for ages, especially lately. Since October 2023, settler violence has spiked human rights groups say it’s the worst it’s been in decades. The UN’s tracked hundreds of attacks: homes torched, olive trees ripped up, people beaten or killed. And most of the time, the Israeli military either stands by or steps in against the Palestinians, not the settlers. It’s a pattern Susya’s just one dot on a map full of them. The settlers, some armed and backed by outposts deemed illegal under international law, act like they own the place. And too often, they get away with it.
For Hamdan’s village, it’s a daily grind. They’re in a spot the Israeli military’s claimed as a training zone since the ‘80s, pushing to clear out the residents. About a thousand people are holding on, but it’s rough demolitions, harassment, you name it. Hamdan’s been documenting this for years, and No Other Land was his megaphone. Now, it’s like the settlers and soldiers are trying to smash that megaphone and him along with it.
The World’s Reaction and What’s Next?
Word of Hamdan’s attack spread fast. Film folks, activists, even regular people online were calling for his release, demanding answers. Amnesty International jumped in, saying this was a “forcible disappearance” and pushing for accountability. After he got out, the relief was palpable, but so was the anger. How does this keep happening? Why’s there no real punishment for the settlers? The Israeli military’s sticking to their story rock-throwing, violent clash, blah blah but it’s tough to buy when you hear from Hamdan’s family and neighbors that he was just defending his home.
So where does this leave him? He’s back with his kids now, probably trying to process what happened. But he’s not the type to back down making that film took guts, and living in Susya takes even more. For the rest of us, it’s a wake-up call. This isn’t some distant conflict; it’s real people getting hurt for telling their truth. Hamdan’s free, yeah, but the settlers are still out there, and the system that let this slide isn’t changing anytime soon
