Channel 4 ‘deeply disturbed by detention of Oscar-winning Palestinian director’

Channel 4 is “deeply disturbed” by reports that a Palestinian director, whose documentary aired on the broadcaster, has been attacked by Israeli settlers and detained, a spokesperson said.

Hamdan Ballal is one of four filmmakers who directed No Other Land, about the disputed West Bank, which won the Oscar for best documentary feature film earlier this month.

Israeli settlers beat up Ballal in the occupied West Bank before he was detained by the Israeli military, according to two of his fellow directors and other witnesses.

A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “We are deeply disturbed by reports that Hamdan Ballal, the co-director of Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, which aired on Channel 4, has been injured while being attacked by settlers in the West Bank, and that he has been subsequently detained by Israeli authorities.

“Ballal is a remarkably brave filmmaker who has spent several years chronicling the treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank by settlers and the Israeli military.

“As a state which has said it is committed to freedom of expression, we urge Israeli authorities to ensure his safety.”

Paul W Fleming, general secretary for Equity, the performing arts and entertainment trade union, called upon the UK Foreign Office to “urgently inquire about Hamdan’s circumstances and press for his immediate and safe release.”

“The attack on Hamdan demonstrates again the devastating impact that the violent conflict and surrounding occupation is having upon the lives of artists and creatives in the region. Artistic expression remains a critical tool for oppressed peoples everywhere and must be protected”, he said.

Co-director Basel Adra said he had witnessed the detention and saw the soldiers lead Ballal, handcuffed and blindfolded, from his home in to a military vehicle.

He said that settlers entered the village on Monday evening shortly after residents broke the daily fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

“We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us. This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment”, Adra told the Associated Press.

Ballal was one of three Palestinians detained in the village of Susiya, according to lawyer Lea Tsemel, who is representing them.

Police told her they were being held at a military base for medical treatment but she said on Tuesday that she had no further information on their whereabouts and had not been in contact with them.

The Israeli military said it detained three Palestinians suspected of hurling rocks at forces and one Israeli civilian involved in a “violent confrontation” between Israelis and Palestinians — a claim witnesses interviewed by the AP disputed.

The Palestinians had been transferred to Israeli police for questioning, the military said.

During the war in Gaza, Israel has killed hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank during wide-scale military operations, and there has also been a rise in settler attacks on Palestinians, as well as a surge in Palestinian attacks on Israelis.

On February 28, Channel 4 announced that it would air the UK network premiere of the documentary, and it was broadcast on Tuesday March 4.

The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.