The relentless cruelty of Israel’s occupation reached a shocking new low with the brutal attack and arrest of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, an internationally acclaimed director whose work has shed light on the horrors of Israeli apartheid. Ballal, who co-directed the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was viciously beaten by Israeli settlers and then forcefully dragged from an ambulance by Israeli forces. The attack, a stark demonstration of Israel’s unchecked impunity, has sparked international outrage, exposing yet again the brutality meted out to Palestinians, regardless of their global recognition or peaceful advocacy.
Ballal, whose film No Other Land won Best Documentary at the Academy Awards earlier this month, has been a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights. His arrest by Israeli forces—following a savage assault by illegal settlers—represents more than just an attack on an individual. It is a deliberate effort to silence Palestinian voices that expose Israel’s crimes to the world. According to his co-director Yuval Abraham, Ballal has not been seen since the arrest, raising grave concerns about his safety and well-being.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of violence against Palestinians, including artists, journalists and activists. Israel’s apartheid regime has long sought to suppress any form of Palestinian resistance, including storytelling and filmmaking. The arrest of Ballal is a direct assault on free expression and an attempt to erase the suffering of the Palestinian people from global consciousness.
The attack on Ballal was carried out by extremist Israeli settlers, whose violence against Palestinians has surged to unprecedented levels under the protection of the Israeli military. These settlers, emboldened by an ultranationalist government, commit daily acts of terrorism—burning homes, destroying farms, and attacking civilians with impunity. Instead of curbing these atrocities, the Israeli military actively facilitates and participates in the repression of Palestinians. Ballal’s ordeal exemplifies this reality: after being beaten, he was not taken to a hospital, but instead seized and disappeared into Israel’s vast system of unlawful detention.
Israel’s military and settlers operate with complete disregard for international law. Their actions have been condemned by human rights organizations, yet there is no accountability. The deafening silence from Western governments—who continue to fund and arm this oppressive regime—exposes the hypocrisy of their so-called commitment to human rights.
Ballal’s arrest is not an isolated incident but part of Israel’s decades-long campaign to erase Palestinian identity and culture. This campaign has reached new levels of horror in the wake of the October 7th attack, after which Israel launched an unrelenting assault on Gaza.
Since October 7, Israel has turned Gaza into a graveyard. More than 50,00 Palestinians have been killed, the vast majority of them civilians, including thousands of children. Over 100,000 have been injured, and more thean 1.9 million people – nearly 85% of the Gaza’s population – have been displaced. Entire neighborhoods have been obliterated, hospitals have been bombed, and even refugee camps have been turned into mass graves. Israel’s genocide is not just military aggression; it is a calculated attempt to destroy Palestinian life in every form.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of war crimes, Western powers continue to shield Israel from accountability. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the atrocities, yet no meaningful action has been taken. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened investigations into Israeli war crimes, but these efforts are continuously obstructed by the United States and its allies, who refuse to hold Israel to the same standards as other nations accused of crimes against humanity.
The world cannot afford to remain passive as Israel escalates its campaign of terror. The attack and arrest of Hamdan Ballal are a clear message: Israel will stop at nothing to silence Palestinians, even those whose stories have reached global audiences. But their brutality will not erase the truth.
As voices around the world continue to rise in condemnation, the international community must demand immediate action. Sanctions, arms embargoes, and legal accountability are not just necessary—they are long overdue. The global resistance to Israeli apartheid is growing, and the more they attempt to suppress Palestinian voices, the louder the call for justice becomes. The case of Hamdan Ballal is not just about one filmmaker—it is about an entire people fighting for survival against a merciless occupation that must be dismantled.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Coverpage’s editorial stance.
