“They Kicked My Head Like a Football” – Palestinian Filmmaker Brutally Attacked

Success and suffering collided in the life of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal experienced both triumph and tragedy within weeks. After winning an Oscar for No Other Land, a documentary on his West Bank village’s struggles, he was beaten by an Israeli settler and soldiers. Hamdan described how the settler kicked his head "like a football" before soldiers arrested him and two others. He was blindfolded for over 20 hours, forced to sit under a freezing air conditioner, and repeatedly beaten by soldiers during their shifts. Though he doesn’t speak Hebrew, he recalled hearing them say his name along with the word “Oscar.”

“I realized they were attacking me specifically,” he said in an interview at a West Bank hospital after his release Tuesday. “When they say ‘Oscar’, you understand. When they say your name, you understand.”

The Israeli military did not immediately address the allegations that soldiers had beaten Hamdan. The settler Hamdan accused, Shem Tov Luski who had previously threatened him, denied any involvement, claiming neither he nor the soldiers had assaulted Hamdan. Speaking to the AP, Luski alleged that Hamdan and other villagers had thrown stones at his car and added that he was unaware Hamdan had won an Oscar.

On Monday, the Israeli military detained three Palestinians for allegedly throwing rocks and briefly held an Israeli civilian, though Hamdan denied the claim. The attack occurred in Susiya, a village in Masafer Yatta featured in No Other Land, a documentary on Palestinian resistance to settler violence and home demolitions.Witnesses reported that around sunset, as residents broke their Ramadan fast, about two dozen Jewish settlers, accompanied by police, entered the village, throwing stones and damaging property. Around 30 soldiers arrived shortly after. Activist Jewish Israelis supporting the villagers shared footage of settlers attacking them, striking their car with sticks and stones.

Hamdan said he recorded footage of the destruction caused by the settlers before retreating to his home, where he locked himself inside with his wife and three young children. "I told myself if they will attack me, if they kill me, I will protect my family" he said. Hamdan said Luski approached him alongside two soldiers. According to Hamdan, Luski struck him on the head, knocking him to the ground, and continued to punch and kick him. Meanwhile, one soldier hit his legs with the butt of a gun, while the other aimed a weapon at him.  

Lamia Ballal, the director’s wife, said she was inside with their children, huddled together, when she heard his screams.“I’m dying!” Luski told the AP that he and other settlers had come to the village to help a fellow settler who said he was being attacked by Palestinian stone-throwers. He said dozens of masked Palestinians attacked his car with stones, including Hamdan. "He broke my window, threw a stone at my chest,” he said.

Luski claimed he led soldiers to Hamdan's house to identify him as an attacker but denied any assault or property damage. He said he had footage but refused to share it, responding with expletives. By Tuesday, signs of violence were evident: a bloodstain outside Hamdan’s home, shattered car windows, and a damaged water tank. Lawyer Lea Tsemel said Hamdan and two other detained Palestinians were taken to an army base, received minimal medical care, and were inaccessible for hours.

Blindfolded and shivering from hours under a blasting air conditioner, Hamdan said he had no idea where he was held. He and two others were later transferred to an Israeli police station in Kiryat Arba and released on Tuesday. "Every part of my body is in pain," Hamdan said, limping toward a hospital in Hebron, where doctors found bruises, scratches, and minor injuries. The incident follows previous tensions with Luski, including an August video showing him and masked settlers confronting and provoking Hamdan.

"This is my land; God gave it to me," Luski declares. "Next time, it won’t be so nice." He mocks Hamdan, warning that he could be sent to Sde Teiman, a notorious military prison where Palestinians detained from Gaza are held. The facility recently made headlines after five soldiers were charged with raping a detainee with a knife."Rape for a higher cause," Luski says in Hebrew before blowing Hamdan a kiss. The film No Other Land, a joint Israeli-Palestinian production, documents the situation in Masafer Yatta. In the 1980s, the Israeli military designated the area as a live-fire training zone and ordered the expulsion of its residents, primarily Arab Bedouins. Despite this, around 1,000 residents have remained, though they frequently face military raids that result in the demolition of homes, tents, water tanks, and olive orchards.

Settlers have established outposts throughout the area and have occasionally destroyed Palestinian property. Palestinians and human rights organizations claim that Israeli forces often ignore these actions or even step in to support the settlers.  

The film has sparked controversy in Israel and internationally, including in Miami Beach, where officials considered shutting down a theater that screened it. Co-director Basel Adra said settler and military attacks have surged since the Oscar win, describing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank as "dark days."  Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians seek for a future state. Over 100 Israeli settlements, housing more than 500,000 settlers, are widely considered illegal by the international community. Around 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule, with the Palestinian Authority overseeing population centers. The ongoing war in Gaza has fueled violence in the West Bank, with Israeli military operations killing hundreds and displacing tens of thousands. At the same time, both settler attacks on Palestinians and Palestinian attacks on Israelis have increased.