Basel Adra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Basel Adra
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| باسل عدرا | |
Adra in Masafer Yatta, June 2022
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| Born | June 13, 1996 At-Tuwani, Hebron Governorate, Palestine
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| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Employer | +972 Magazine Local Call |
| Organization | B'Tselem |
Basel Adra (born June 13, 1996) is a Palestinian activist, lawyer, and journalist. He is known for showing the world what life is like for Palestinian villagers in the West Bank. This area is under Israeli military control. Basel documents how the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) try to move villagers from their homes. He also records difficult encounters between villagers and Israeli settlers.
Basel Adra helped create and direct a documentary film called No Other Land in 2024. He worked with Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham and two other activists. The film tells the story of the Masafer Yatta community, where Basel grew up. It shows how Israeli forces have torn down homes and moved families who have lived there for many generations. The film explains that the land is claimed for military training. No Other Land was shown at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. It won the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film and the Berlinale Documentary Film Award. In 2025, the film also won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film.
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Basel Adra's Work and Activism
Basel Adra is an activist who works to bring attention to important issues. He is also a volunteer photographer for B'Tselem, a human rights organization. He writes for online news sites like +972 Magazine and Local Call. He often works with photojournalist Oren Ziv.
Basel has faced challenges while doing his work. In 2022, he was filming the IDF taking down a building he had helped construct. During this time, he was hurt. In 2023, he was held by authorities after filming an incident involving an Israeli army security person. Basel continues to document events to share what is happening in his community.
Media Reports and Clarifications
In 2021, some news channels, like Channel 12 and HaKol HaYehudi, reported stories about Basel Adra. They claimed he had started a fire in the Hebron Hills area of the West Bank. They suggested he was trying to blame others for it. However, video footage from Basel's own camera showed a different story. It showed that the fire started from a tear gas canister fired by the Israeli army. The footage also showed Basel trying to put the fire out. Since then, these news channels have not shown proof for their claims against Basel.
No Other Land Film Success
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In February 2024, the film No Other Land was shown for the first time. This film is about the situation in Masafer Yatta. Basel Adra helped write and direct it with Israelis Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, and Palestinian Hamdan Ballal. The film won the Berlinale Best Documentary Film award and the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. Later, the film also won the Best Documentary Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
About Basel Adra's Life
Basel Adra was born on June 13, 1996, in At-Tuwani, which is in the Hebron Governorate of Palestine. His father's name is Nasser. Basel lives in Masafer Yatta, in the Hebron area. He got married in 2024 and has a daughter.
In February 2025, Basel Adra experienced a difficult situation in Masafer Yatta. He was approached by a group of masked individuals.
