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Hamdan Bilal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was released Tuesday afternoon after reportedly being beaten and detained by Israeli soldiers following an attack by settlers in the West Bank, according to his Israeli filmmaking partner, Yuval Abraham.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Abraham wrote that Bilal was handcuffed, blindfolded and held overnight at a military base, where he was beaten by two soldiers, according to Bilal’s attorney, Lea Tsemel.
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According to Abraham, Bilal remained in police custody at the Kiryat Arba station near Hebron before being released Tuesday afternoon. The Israeli director alleged on Monday that settlers assaulted Bilal at his home, striking him in the head and body. While bleeding, Bilal reportedly called an ambulance—only to be arrested by soldiers upon its arrival. The IDF denied the claims.
Abraham’s original post in English has gone viral, reaching more than 20 million views, 188,000 likes, and over 63,000 shares as of Tuesday afternoon. The post has been cited by major international news outlets, including the BBC, The Guardian, AP, CNN and leading entertainment publications such as The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Deadline.
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The IDF issued a statement Tuesday in response, claiming that “a number of assailants threw stones at Israeli civilians and damaged vehicles near Susya in the Judea Brigade sector.” The military said a violent clash followed between Palestinians and Israelis, including mutual stone-throwing. Upon arrival, security forces arrested three Palestinians suspected of hurling stones and one Israeli civilian involved in the confrontation. The IDF denied that a Palestinian was arrested from an ambulance.
The incident comes just weeks after No Other Land, a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian journalists Yuval Abraham, Rachel Shor, Basel Adra and Hamdan Bilal, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The film documents the lives of Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills region of Masafer Yatta under Israeli military control.
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No Other Land creators Basel Adra, Rachel Shor, Hamdan Bilal and Yuval Abraham
(Photo: REUTERS/Daniel Cole)
Following the win, Abraham called the award a “collective achievement,” adding: “This film gives voice to people whose lives are usually hidden. Our fate is intertwined. Just as freeing the hostages depends on ending the war in Gaza, our security depends on a just political solution that ensures freedom for the residents of Masafer Yatta and a better future for both peoples.”
The community of Masafer Yatta, located in the Israeli-controlled Area C of the West Bank, has been the focus of a years-long legal battle. In 2022, Israel’s High Court ruled that the area—designated as a military firing zone—could be cleared of residents. While satellite images and military reports show the land was vacant before army use began, residents say they have long-standing ties to the area, claims which the Israeli court has rejected for lack of evidence. International pressure has so far stalled mass evictions, echoing a similar case in Khan al-Ahmar near Ma’ale Adumim.