JERUSALEM — On Monday, Israeli soldiers halted a group of journalists from accessing certain villages within the West Bank during a scheduled tour arranged by the creators of the acclaimed Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land.”
The film’s directors, focusing on the theme of assaults on Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the contested territory, had organized the tour to allow journalists to engage with local residents and learn more about the rising settler violence in the area.
In a video shared online by Yuval Abraham, a co-director of the film, an Israeli soldier can be seen telling the assembly of international journalists that entry into the area is restricted due to a military directive. Basel Adra, a Palestinian co-director of the film residing in the region, explained that the military prevented the journalists from accessing two Palestinian villages they had initially planned to visit.
According to a statement from Israel’s military, access to the village of Khallet A-Daba was restricted because it lies within a designated live-fire training zone. While Tuwani is not in this zone, the military maintained that individuals who could potentially disrupt the peace were barred from entry to ensure “public order and prevent friction.”
Adra expressed concern over the situation, stating, “They don’t want the world to see what is happening here.” He had invited the journalists to his home, hoping they would report on the circumstances affecting the local residents.
The area, which includes several small Bedouin villages collectively referred to as Masafer Yatta, was declared a live-fire training zone by the military in the 1980s. Although around 1,000 Palestinians have remained despite orders to vacate, journalists previously have been able to visit these villages alongside human rights activists and diplomats.
Since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7, 2023, sparked by Hamas attacking Israel, Palestinian residents in the area have reported an increase in settler violence. They fear potential expulsion as Israeli soldiers frequently conduct demolition of homes, tents, water tanks, and olive orchards.
Adra noted that the journalists eventually managed to enter one village within Masafer Yatta, but access to both Tuwani, where he resides, and Khallet A-Daba was denied.
He recounted that settlers occupied parts of the caves in Khallet A-Daba on Monday, where villagers were living. They proceeded to destroy possessions and allowed sheep to graze on the villagers’ lands. The military had previously demolished significant parts of the village the previous month, stating that structures were erected illegally and were taken down after the residents had the opportunity to contest the demolitions.
The documentary “No Other Land,” which clinched the Oscar for best documentary film this year, highlights the efforts of residents to prevent the Israeli military from demolishing their homes. This Palestinian-Israeli collaborative production was directed by Adra, alongside Palestinian activist Hamdan Ballal from Masafer Yatta, with Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
The film has earned numerous global accolades, shedding light on the ongoing conflict and its impact on the inhabitants. Since capturing the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, Israel has established more than 100 settlements in the region, housing over 500,000 settlers with Israeli citizenship. Meanwhile, the approximately 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank continue to be governed under Israeli military rule, while the Western-supported Palestinian Authority oversees main urban centers.