Oscar-Winning Director: Palestinians’ Unbreakable Bond to Land Stands Strong

(MENAFN) Palestinians' deep-rooted connection to their land remains unshaken despite the hardships they face, including growing violence from Israeli settlers, according to Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the acclaimed documentary "No Other Land."

"Many many generations of us have lived here. I have memories here. Without past, you can't live the future. So when you ask what 'land' means to us, that means a lot and that means a life. When fish go outside the water, they die. This is the relationship between the land and Palestinians," Ballal explained in an interview aired on Saturday.

The documentary, which has won several awards, including an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature this year, sheds light on the violence faced by Palestinian villagers and the destruction of their homes by Israeli forces in the Masafer Yatta area of the southern West Bank.

Reflecting on his childhood in the village of Susya, Ballal shared a vivid memory of a traumatic encounter with Israeli soldiers. Two decades ago, during a Friday meal with his family in a tent, an explosion interrupted their gathering, leaving them shocked to discover an explosive device had been thrown into their food.

"Nobody got hurt, but we lost the food. I was so sad," he recalled. Though he couldn’t understand the reasoning at the time, however "we understand now that they make it some big pressure on you, to make you leave your home. That's the reason."

Israeli violence has intensified in recent years, with a United Nations report released in April revealing a marked increase in settler attacks. According to the report, since early 2023, Masafer Yatta "has seen a sharp and sustained escalation in settler violence, resulting in both casualties and widespread property damage."

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