Brother of No Other Land co-director injured as Israeli settlers again attack family home

Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," reports renewed attacks on his family home in Susya, Masafer Yatta, West Bank. On Sunday, settlers allegedly targeted his brother, Mohammed Ballal, who was reportedly assaulted by soldiers after a settler leader gave them orders. Mohammed was hospitalized and treated for trauma to his neck and bruises. Relatives who came to help were detained by the IDF for three hours, blindfolded, and later released. The IDF confirmed the detentions, stating the Palestinians refused to identify themselves and denied any assault or home raid, contradicting Ballal's account. The attacks follow a recent court order banning non-residents from the area and a previous settler attack that injured Hamdan Ballal last March.

One year after the film *No Other Land* won an Oscar, co-director Hamdan Ballal reports increased attacks by Israeli settlers in Masafer Yatta, a cluster of occupied West Bank villages. On Sunday, settlers attacked Ballal's hometown of Susya, despite an Israeli court ruling meant to protect the area. Ballal states that Israeli authorities did not enforce the ruling and instead sided with the attackers. Several of Ballal's relatives were detained and one was hospitalized. Ballal believes these attacks are retaliation for his involvement in the documentary, with settlers targeting his family to avoid media attention. He says his family has been prevented from grazing sheep and ploughing the land.