ACTIVISTS welcomed the release by Israeli authorities today of an Oscar-winning Palestinian director who was detained by the army after being attacked by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Mr Ballal’s film No Other Land, which he co-directed with fellow Palestinian Basel Adra and Israeli Yuval Abraham and which looks at the struggles of living under Israeli occupation, won the Academy Award earlier this month.

But Lamia Ballal, the director’s wife, said she heard her husband being beaten outside their home in the West Bank village of Susiya on Monday as she huddled inside with their three children. 

Palestinian residents say that two dozen settlers — some masked, some carrying guns and some in military uniforms — carried out their attack as residents were breaking their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Ms Ballal said she heard her husband screaming “I’m dying!” and calling for an ambulance. 

When she looked out the window, she saw three men in uniform beating Mr Ballal with the butts of their rifles and another person in civilian clothes who appeared to be filming the violence.

“Of course, after the Oscar, they have come to attack us more,” Lamia said. “I felt afraid.”

Locals said that when soldiers arrived they pointed their guns at the Palestinians, while settlers continued throwing stones, they said.

The Israeli military said on Monday that it had detained three Palestinians suspected of hurling rocks at forces and one Israeli civilian involved in what it described as a violent confrontation.

Their lawyer, Lea Tsemel, said they spent the night on the floor of a military base while receiving only minimal care for their injuries from the attack

Artists for Palestine UK, a network of artists and cultural workers, said: “We are relieved that global outcry has saved the life of Hamdan. But the death toll is rising, and media workers who have exposed the process of genocide are among those most at risk. 

“David Lammy and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy should make it clear that they hold the Israeli government accountable for Hamdan’s future safety.”

Israeli strikes also killed at least 23 people in the Gaza Strip overnight into today, Palestinian medics said.

Hospitals have been flooded with dead and wounded since Israel resumed heavy bombardment last week, shattering the ceasefire that had halted the 17-month war.

The dead include three children and their parents who were killed in a strike on their tent near the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital.