Chicago – September 14, 2025
Oscar-winning Palestinian director Basel Adra reported that Israeli soldiers raided his home in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, September 13, 2025, searching for him and examining his wife’s mobile phone while their nine-month-old daughter was present.
The raid occurred shortly after Israeli settlers attacked Adra’s village, injuring two of his brothers and a cousin, whom Adra accompanied to the hospital. Adra learned of the home invasion from relatives while away, and expressed concern for his family’s safety as soldiers blocked the entrance to his village, preventing his return and raising fears of arrest.
The Israeli military stated that its forces were in the village after reports that Palestinians had thrown rocks, resulting in injuries to two Israeli civilians; operations and interrogations were ongoing in the area.
Adra, renowned for chronicling settler violence in Masafer Yatta through his journalism and filmmaking, said targeting of himself and his collaborators has intensified since their Oscar win for “No Other Land,” a film documenting local resistance against demolition in the region.
