Awdah Hathaleen, who labored on the Oscar-winning documentary No Different Land, was killed final July within the occupied West Financial institution.
Revealed On 6 Aug 2026
Israeli prosecutors have charged a settler with reckless manslaughter over the killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen within the occupied West Financial institution, within the first such indictment of an Israeli in additional than seven years.
The indictment in opposition to Yinon Levi, filed in an Israeli district court docket on Thursday, additionally contains prices of armed trespassing and malicious property harm.
Advisable Tales
checklist of three objectsfinish of checklist
Israeli human rights group Yesh Din mentioned an Israeli civilian was final indicted over the killing of a Palestinian within the West Financial institution in 2019.
Hathaleen, a 31-year-old trainer and father of three, was killed in July 2025 when settlers introduced excavators into the village of Umm al-Khair to degree land for a brand new unlawful outpost, sparking a confrontation with residents.
Video, together with footage reportedly filmed by Hathaleen himself, confirmed Levi firing pictures in direction of the gang.
A separate investigation by Palestinian rights group Al-Haq, printed on the killing’s first anniversary, reconstructed the taking pictures from video, testimony and geospatial evaluation. It matched the deadly wound to Levi’s handgun and located not one of the Palestinians current had been armed, undercutting his self-defence declare.
The group mentioned Levi was additionally filmed alongside Israeli forces figuring out Palestinians for arrest, whereas an ambulance attempting to achieve Hathaleen was blocked as Israeli troopers and police seemed on.
Hathaleen had labored on the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land and usually hosted international activists in his house.
Levi’s lawyer known as the fees mistaken and mentioned the defence would contest them in court docket. Levi was amongst settlers sanctioned by the UK and European Union over violence in opposition to Palestinians; Washington lifted related United States sanctions after Donald Trump returned to workplace in 2025 for a second time period as US president.
Israeli rights organisation B’Tselem known as the indictment “the exception that proves the rule”, saying Israel’s impunity for settlers and troopers is deliberate coverage, not systemic failure.
It says at the very least 1,100 Palestinians, together with 240 kids, have been killed within the West Financial institution by settlers and troopers because the Gaza battle started in October 2023.
The indictment comes amid a surge in West Financial institution settler violence, with assaults now averaging 190 a month in 2026, pushed by organised networks just like the Hilltop Youth and armed settler “guard groups”.
