No Other Land, a powerful documentary depicting Palestinian efforts to resist home demolitions in the occupied West Bank, has won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

The film, a collaboration between Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, prevailed over Porcelain War, Sugarcane, Black Box Diaries, and Soundtrack to a Coup d’État to secure the prestigious award on Sunday night.

Produced between 2019 and 2023, No Other Land follows Adra’s struggle to document the Israeli military’s destruction of his hometown, Masafer Yatta.

The region, located in the southern West Bank, has long been a target for eviction as Israeli authorities seek to turn it into a military training zone. The film chronicles Adra’s efforts to resist displacement and his unlikely partnership with Abraham, a Jewish-Israeli journalist who helps amplify his story.

‘A reality Palestinians have endured for decades’

In his acceptance speech, Adra reflected on the struggles faced by Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

“About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now—always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions, and forcible displacements,” he said, urging the international community to “take serious action” to end what he called “ethnic cleansing” against Palestinians.

Abraham, meanwhile, used his speech to highlight the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the need for a political solution that ensures safety and rights for both Israelis and Palestinians.

“We see each other—the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end. Israeli hostages, brutally taken in the crime of October 7th, which must be freed,” he said.

Abraham criticised Israeli policies, calling for a future without “ethnic supremacy” and a path toward “national rights for both of our people.” He also accused US foreign policy of blocking such a resolution.

“Can’t you see that we’re intertwined—that my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe?” he said.

A journey to recognition

Despite its success, No Other Land has struggled to secure widespread distribution in the United States. To qualify for the Oscars, its creators arranged a limited one-week screening at the Lincoln Center in New York in November 2023.

The film has, however, received critical acclaim internationally. In February, it won the Audience Award and Documentary Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. It was also honoured with the Best Non-Fiction Film award by the New York Film Critics Circle.

Heavily relying on Adra’s personal camcorder footage, the documentary captures harrowing scenes of Israeli forces demolishing homes, bulldozing a village school, and sealing off water wells with cement to prevent reconstruction. The film also depicts the plight of a Palestinian man who is left paralysed after being shot by an Israeli soldier during a protest against home demolitions. His mother is later shown struggling to care for him while living in a cave.

Ongoing tensions in the West Bank

The film’s release comes amid escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, where more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live among approximately three million Palestinians. While settlers enjoy Israeli citizenship and legal protections, Palestinians remain under military rule, with limited authority exercised by the Palestinian Authority in population centres.

Leading human rights organisations have described the situation as apartheid—a claim that the Israeli government denies. Israel considers the West Bank its historical and biblical heartland and continues to oppose Palestinian statehood.