Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal released after Israeli detention
Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has been released after nearly 24 hours in Israeli detention. Ballal was taken into custody following an attack by Israeli settlers near his home in the occupied West Bank.
His co-director, Basel Adra, confirmed that Ballal was granted bail and has been taken to a hospital for medical treatment before returning home.
Ballal, who resides in the occupied West Bank, recounted that Israeli settlers and soldiers attacked his home on Monday night, beating him and threatening him with firearms. According to him, soldiers fired three warning shots before detaining him. While in custody, he was blindfolded and placed beneath a cold air conditioner, while soldiers mocked his Oscar win.
His arrest followed a night of violence near Susya, where settlers vandalized homes, slashed car tires, and damaged water tanks. Ballal's co-director, Basel Adra, said he witnessed around 15 settlers attacking Palestinian homes and cars while throwing rocks at residents. He said Ballal, injured during the assault, locked himself inside his home to protect his family before seeking emergency medical help.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the violence began when “terrorists hurled rocks at Israeli citizens, damaging their vehicles,” leading to “mutual rock-hurling between Palestinians and Israelis.” However, activists, including American volunteer Josh Kimelman, disputed this account, stating that Palestinian shepherds were initially harassed by settlers, escalating into mob violence. Kimelman, who arrived to assist, described how settlers attacked his colleagues, hitting them with sticks and throwing rocks at their vehicle.
Ballal, a well-known journalist and activist, has faced threats from settlers before. His co-director, Adra, expressed disappointment that global recognition had not improved conditions in the region. He noted that their village alone had suffered 45 attacks this year, leaving residents in constant fear.
Ballal was released on bail but was taken to a hospital for further medical treatment before returning home.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
