Director Hamdan Ballal, known internationally for his documentary “No Other Land Here,” was attacked on Monday. The home demolition took place in the Palestinian village of Susiya, in the southern West Bank. That attack, when dozens of Israeli settlers invaded the village and tried to force out its residents, is unfortunately all too common and is vividly captured in Ballal’s film. According to an initial report from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, the incursion was met with a violent confrontation by police and other drivers.
A video shared by activist Yuval Abraham on X, formerly Twitter, showed these same masked individuals pushing and punching activists with abandon. The footage caught assailants wielding batons and throwing stones at protestors on the cover of night. Abraham recounted the event, stating:
“They beat him in the head and all over his body.”
In the midst of the pandemonium, Israeli security forces showed up. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the incident as involving:
“mutual rock-hurling between Palestinians and Israelis at the scene.”
The IDF later confirmed that one Israeli civilian had been injured and subsequently evacuated. As of September 29, the IDF announced that five were detained for further questioning by Israeli police after the incident.
“The detainees were taken for further questioning by the Israel Police. An Israeli citizen was injured in the incident and was evacuated to receive medical treatment.” – An IDF spokesperson
Even with these steps in place, there is still confusion about what happened that day. As for the denials, the IDF denied arresting any Palestinians from within an ambulance, in a substantial contradiction to multiple reports. Yet, according to witnesses, Ballal was beaten, blindfolded, and abducted by the soldiers.
For his part, former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte expressed alarm at the incident. He claimed to have experienced "dismay" upon hearing reports of Ballal’s brutal assault. Conte further advocated for:
“maximum diplomatic and economic sanctions” on Israel in a post on X.
Leave a Reply