An Israeli military spokesperson said Monday that three Palestinians had been arrested after “violent clashes” erupted near the village of Susiya, Masafer Yatta.

The filmmaker was allegedly attacked by Israeli settlers in his West Bank village, according to his co-director.

Palestinian Academy Award-winning filmmaker Hamdan Ballal was released from Israeli custody on Tuesday, friend and fellow filmmaker Yuval Abraham said, after Ballal was detained by Israeli security forces on Monday.

New airstrikes by Israel Defense Forces in Gaza killed at least 61 Palestinians over a 24-hour time frame including two journalists as the doll toll rises.

The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 50,000 since Israel launched its military campaign following Hamas’ October 7 attack, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The conflict escalated after Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas,

Israel is making plans for a potential major ground offensive in Gaza that would involve sending tens of thousands of troops into combat to clear and occupy large swaths of the enclave, an Israeli official and a second source familiar with the matter said.

The Israeli government faces mounting pressure from within and abroad as it considers deeper involvement in Gaza following renewed fighting and hostage negotiations. The Israeli m