Israel's culture minister has threatened to axe funding for the country's national film awards after The Sea, a story about a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, won its top award, BBC reported.

The film, which follows a boy from the occupied West Bank who wants to travel to Tel Aviv to see the sea for the first time, won best film at the Ophir Awards - Israel's equivalent of the Oscars.

In a statement on X, Miki Zohar said: "There is no greater slap in the face of Israeli citizens than the embarrassing and detached annual Ophir Awards ceremony."

As winner of the best film category at the Ophir awards, The Sea now becomes Israel's entry to the international film category at next year's Oscars, according to BBC.