Israeli Settler Kills Palestinian Activist Included in Oscar-Winning Documentary – The New York Times
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Widely Condemned Israeli Settler Arrested In Slaying Of Palestinian Activist
Police named Yinon Levi as the suspect in the shooting of Awdah Hathaleen, a journalist from the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair. His U.S. sanctions were lifted by President Donald Trump in January. His lawyer said his client was acting in self-defense in response to Palestinians hurling stones at him. Levi was one of four Israelis whom President Joe Biden’s State Department brought financial sanctions against last year, saying he’d led settler groups “that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians” The move locked Levi out of the international economic system and froze his Israeli bank accounts. He denied any wrongdoing to to ABC News at the time, saying: “When we first found out about it, we thought it was a joke. Why would Biden care about us?” He was also sanctioned by the European Union last year as an “extremist settler”
An Israeli settler sanctioned by the Biden administration has been arrested in the killing of a well-known Palestinian activist in the West Bank.
Local outlets and The New York Times reported Tuesday that police named Yinon Levi as the suspect in the shooting of Awdah Hathaleen, a journalist from the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair whose work was featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary “No Other Land.”
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Levi, whose U.S. sanctions were lifted by President Donald Trump in January, was detained and released on house arrest, police said. No formal charges have been brought against him yet, The Guardian reported.
His confrontation Monday with Palestinians, set off by Levi and a colleague bulldozing a path through the the fields of Umm al-Khair to expand the Israeli settlement of Carmel, was captured on video and showed him firing multiple times. In statements reported by the Times, Levi’s lawyer said his client was shooting into the air, acting in self-defense in response to Palestinians hurling stones at him.
Yinon Levi photographed working on his farm in 2024. Maya Alleruzzo/Associated Press
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Hathaleen was not involved in the dispute and was standing at a community center about 150 feet away when he was hit by the stray bullet, his cousin and another activist told the Times.
Levi was one of four Israelis whom President Joe Biden’s State Department brought financial sanctions against last year, saying he’d led settler groups “that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians, threatened them with additional violence if they did not leave their homes, burned their fields and destroyed their property.”
The move locked Levi out of the international economic system and froze his Israeli bank accounts.
He denied any wrongdoing to to ABC News at the time.
“When we first found out about it, we thought it was a joke. Why would Biden care about us?” he said.
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“Anarchists come to our territory and do provocations. They disturb the soldiers, they attack us, the dog and the sheep on purpose and document it for provocation,” he continued.
Awdah Hathaleen, a journalist from the West Bank whose work was featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was killed Monday. Courtesy of Awdah Hathaleen
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Levi was also sanctioned by the European Union last year as an “extremist settler” who’s “responsible for serious human rights abuses against Palestinians.” The U.K. also brought sanctions against him, saying he “used physical aggression, threatened families at gunpoint, and destroyed property as part of a targeted and calculated effort to displace Palestinian communities.”
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Hathaleen, whose work documented the forced expulsions and demolitions in the West Bank, was mourned by the filmmakers involved in “No Other Land,” which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film this year.
Palestinian Activist Featured in ‘No Other Land’ Shot and Killed in Clash With Israeli Settlers
Journalist Awdah Hathaleen, 31, was shot and killed Monday during a confrontation with Israeli settlers. Footage shot by the journalist helped shape “No Other Lan,” a 2024 documentary that won Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards. Israeli police detained Yinon Levi, a settler who owns an unauthorized outpost near Hebron, on suspicion of reckless conduct resulting in death and unlawful use of a firearm.
Video footage shot by 31-year-old Awdah Hathaleen, a journalist from the small village of Umm al-Khair in the southern West Bank, helped shape “No Other Lan,” a 2024 documentary that won Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards earlier this year. The film was co-directed by Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham.
Hathaleen was fatally wounded near his home during the clash with settlers and pronounced dead at an Israeli hospital, his family told the Times. Israeli police detained Yinon Levi, a settler who owns an unauthorized outpost near Hebron, on suspicion of reckless conduct resulting in death and unlawful use of a firearm.
Levi’s lawyer had argued that his client fired his weapon in self-defense after being confronted by Palestinians throwing stones, and a judge released him Tuesday to house arrest. The Times reported that it had verified a video in which Levi is seen waving a gun as he tussles with a Palestinian; stones fly overhead before Levi cocks his pistol and fires.
The Biden administration imposed sanctions on Levi earlier this year, citing repeated acts of violence and intimidation against Palestinians. Levi, who runs an earthworks company, has reportedly worked alongside Israeli military to bulldoze Palestinian structures.
“I can hardly believe it,” Adra wrote on his X account. “My dear friend Awdah was slaughtered this evening.He was standing in front of the community center in his village when a settler fired a bullet that pierced his chest and took his life. This is how Israel erases us — one life at a time.”
Roughly 2.7 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, alongside about 500,000 Israeli settlers. Though both populations live under Israeli control, settlers are generally subject to civilian law, while Palestinians remain under military rule.
Israeli settler accused of killing Palestinian released on house arrest
The man, identified as Yinon Levi, was placed under house arrest on Tuesday after a Magistrate Court in Jerusalem declined to keep him in custody. The victim, 31-year-old Awdah Hathaleen, was shot dead on Monday night in the village of Umm al-Kheir, south of Hebron. “He was standing in front of the community centre in his village when a settler fired a bullet that pierced his chest and took his life,” a police statement said. Israeli police acknowledged that they were investigating an “incident near Carmel [al-Karmil]” and detained two foreign activists present in the area. The army also declared the village a closed military zone, effectively blocking journalists from entering and reporting on the scene. The incident was documented in the Oscar-winning film No Other Land, which documents Israeli settler and soldier attacks on the Palestinian community of Masafer Yatta. Israeli authorities released him to house arrest after he faced charges of manslaughter and unlawful firearm use.
An Israeli court has released to house arrest a settler accused of fatally shooting a Palestinian activist in the occupied West Bank.
The man, identified as Yinon Levi, was placed under house arrest on Tuesday after a Magistrate Court in Jerusalem declined to keep him in custody. Israeli daily Haaretz reported that Levi faced charges of manslaughter and unlawful firearm use in connection with the killing.
The victim, 31-year-old Awdah Hathaleen, was shot dead on Monday night in the village of Umm al-Kheir, south of Hebron.
Hathaleen was well known for his activism, including helping the creators of the Oscar-winning film No Other Land, which documents Israeli settler and soldier attacks on the Palestinian community of Masafer Yatta.
Footage published by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem appears to show Levi opening fire on Hathaleen during a confrontation in the village.
Despite the visual evidence and prior sanctions imposed on Levi by both the European Union and the United States over past attacks on Palestinians, Israeli authorities released him to house arrest.
US President Trump removed the penalties against Levi and other settlers accused of extremist violence after assuming office in January.
Witnesses told Anadolu news agency that Israeli troops stormed Umm al-Kheir shortly after the killing and detained two foreign activists present in the area. The army also declared the village a closed military zone, effectively blocking journalists from entering and reporting on the scene.
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The two filmmakers behind No Other Land – Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham and Palestinian journalist Basel Adra – also confirmed that the activist was shot and killed.
“My dear friend Awdah was slaughtered this evening,” Adra wrote on social media. “He was standing in front of the community centre in his village when a settler fired a bullet that pierced his chest and took his life,” he said.
“This is how Israel erases us — one life at a time.”
Co-director Abraham described Hathaleen as “a remarkable activist who helped us film No Other Land in Masafer Yatta”.
Abraham also posted a video of the incident and said that “residents identified Yinon Levi, sanctioned by the EU and US, as the shooter”.
“This is him in the video firing like crazy,” Abraham said.
Odeh just died. Murdered. https://t.co/rRWqSa48iN — Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) July 28, 2025
Israeli police acknowledged that they were investigating an “incident near Carmel [al-Karmil]”, an illegal Israeli settlement neighbouring Umm al-Kheir.
“An Israeli citizen was detained at the scene and then arrested by police for questioning,” a police statement said.
Israeli soldiers also arrested four Palestinians “in connection with the incident, along with two foreign tourists who were at the scene”, the police said.
“Following the incident, the death of a Palestinian was confirmed; his exact involvement in the incident is being verified,” the police added.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that a second Palestinian was injured in the attack after being beaten by a settler. He was taken to hospital by ambulance, Wafa added.
Hathaleen was from Masafer Yatta, a string of Palestinian hamlets located on the hills south of Hebron, where residents have fought for decades to remain in their homes after Israel declared the area an Israeli military “firing” or training zone.
Their efforts to prevent Israeli forces from destroying their homes were the subject of No Other Land, which won best documentary at the Oscars in March.
Hathaleen’s killing comes as Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem released a report on Monday accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
B’Tselem also said that there has been an “unprecedented spike in daily attacks by settlers, often armed and equipped with full military gear, on Palestinians in the West Bank”.
“These attacks include arson, theft, home invasions and takeovers, armed threats, beatings, and more,” B’Tselem said, and occur with the support of the “Israeli government and law enforcement agencies”.
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About three million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank, alongside nearly half a million Israelis living in settlements, which are illegal under international law.
Earlier, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that 27-year-old Mohammad Samer Suleiman al-Jamal succumbed to his wounds after being shot by Israeli forces at a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Hebron on Monday night, the Wafa news agency reported. The Israeli forces left Suleiman al-Jamal to bleed to death and prevented ambulance crews from reaching him, Wafa added.
Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023. More than 30 Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, have been killed in the occupied West Bank during the same period.
Sanctioned settler accused of killing Palestinian activist released to house arrest
Yinon Levi, a sanctioned settler who allegedly shot dead a Palestinian activist on Monday during a confrontation near the West Bank village of Umm al Kheir, was released to house arrest on Tuesday. Police are seeking to charge Levi with reckless manslaughter and unlawful use of a firearm over the killing of Awdah Hathaleen. He was ordered to remain under house arrest at a farm inside Israel under the supervision of his wife and sister-in-law until Friday, and was banned from contacting anyone involved in Monday’s deadly incident for 21 days. Five Palestinian activists were arrested over the incident, as well as two foreign nationals volunteering with them, all of whom remain in jail, according to the co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” Yuval Abraham. Levi owns a construction company, together with his brother, by the name of Il Harei Yehudah. The Civil Administration, a department of the Defense Ministry, has sub-contracted Il Harea to carry out demolition work against illegal Palestinian structures.
He was ordered to remain under house arrest at a farm inside Israel under the supervision of his wife and sister-in-law until Friday, and was banned from contacting anyone involved in Monday’s deadly incident for 21 days.
Police are seeking to charge Levi — who is sanctioned by Canada, the UK, and the European Union — with reckless manslaughter and unlawful use of a firearm over the killing of Awdah Hathaleen, a prominent Palestinian activist featured in the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” who was fatally shot in the upper body during a confrontation on Monday.
Two other Palestinians were said to have been wounded in the same incident.
Hathaleen was a resident of Masafer Yatta, a string of hamlets in the South Hebron Hills that have been declared a military zone by Israel.
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The residents’ efforts to prevent Israeli forces from destroying their homes were the subject of “No Other Land,” which won Best Documentary at the Oscars in March.
Monday’s shooting occurred as pro-Palestinian activists attempted to block earthworks being carried out by Levi close to the Carmel settlement, which is immediately adjacent to Umm al Kheir.
The Peace Now organization said Hathaleen sent a WhatsApp message to activists in the area informing them that Levi tried to sever the village’s main water pipe. He then headed to the construction site with other activists to try to stop the work from being carried out.
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In video footage from the scene of the confrontation, Levi can be seen holding a handgun and firing into the air, allegedly to distance the Palestinians.
Video filmed after the incident that was shared by pro-Palestinian activists appeared to show Levi speaking with army personnel and police officers while pointing to Umm al-Kheir residents inside the village. The police and IDF soldiers then entered the dwelling and arrested residents, apparently on Levi’s recommendation.
During Tuesday’s court hearing on extending Levi’s remand in custody, a police representative said “a large number of rioters” threw rocks at Levi and a minor operating the heavy construction vehicle “to harm them.”
Levi owns a construction company, together with his brother, by the name of Il Harei Yehudah. The Civil Administration, a department of the Defense Ministry, has sub-contracted Il Harei Yehudah to carry out demolition work against illegal Palestinian structures in the South Hebron Hills.
The name and logo of Il Harei Yehudah can be seen on the T-shirt Levi was wearing on Monday when he allegedly shot Hathaleen.
In one incident in 2023, Levi destroyed three water cisterns in the Palestinian hamlet of Susyia with his bulldozer, while carrying out work for the Civil Administration forming a roadblock on the South Hebron Hills dwelling’s only access road.
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Il Harei Yehudah is also apparently involved in demolition work in Gaza, according to Levi’s attorney Avichai Hajbi. In arguing against keeping Levi in police custody, Hajbi told the court on Tuesday that Levi is an IDF contractor “who is working everyday in Shejaiya,” a neighborhood of Gaza City.
At the end of the hearing, Judge Havi Tucker asserted that Levi’s claim of having acted in self-defense was strengthened by statements from “two objective witnesses.”
Besides Levi, five Palestinian activists were arrested over the incident, as well as two foreign nationals volunteering with them, all of whom remain in jail. According to the Israeli co-director of “No Other Land,” Yuval Abraham, four of the detained Palestinians are Hathaleen’s relatives.
Far-right Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech attended Levi’s hearing on Tuesday, saying in a video statement that she was there to support “Israel’s hero.”
“In a country that values life, those who protect their lives and the lives of their families are rewarded, not dragged into extended detention,” she declared.
Meanwhile, as Levi was freed to house arrest, Israeli security forces arrived at Umm al Kheir to dismantle a mourning tent set up in memory of Hathaleen.
Footage from the scene showed soldiers instructing all non-residents of the village to leave as the area was being declared a closed military zone.
Watch: Israeli solders raid the mourning tent for Awdah Hathaleen in Umm Al Khair, forcing all the guests out, including journalists pic.twitter.com/9XHPnylv2R Advertisement — Oren Ziv (@OrenZiv_) July 29, 2025
France, meanwhile, condemned Hathaleen’s death as “murder,” and described Israeli settler violence, which has spiked in recent months, as “terrorism.”
“France condemns this murder with the utmost firmness as well as all deliberate acts of violence committed by extremist settlers against the Palestinian population, which are multiplying across the West Bank,” a foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday.
“These acts of violence are acts of terrorism.”
The spokesman urged Israeli authorities to “immediately sanction the perpetrators of these acts of violence, which continue with complete impunity, and protect Palestinian civilians.”
The American dovish Zionist organization J Street also issued a condemnation, saying it was “heartbroken and horrified” over the incident.
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“This violence is not random,” it said in a statement. “It is the result of an Israeli government that empowers settler violence and refuses to hold perpetrators to account.”
As well as his construction business, Levi is also the founder of the illegal settlement outpost of Meitarim Farm in the South Hebron Hills region.
Civil rights groups have cited Meitarim Farm in petitions to the High Court as a source of severe harassment and violence against local Palestinian shepherding communities, and alleged that Levi specifically has repeatedly conducted such violence.
Meitarim Farm was established by Levi in cooperation with the Har Hebron Regional Council, a local government municipality covering Israeli settlements in the region.
Just this April, the government gifted Levi, together with 18 other founders and operators of illegal West Bank outposts, an all terrain vehicle.
A frequently documented tactic of farming outposts is the use of ATVs to harass Palestinian herders and their livestock, and Levi himself has been videoed using an ATV to harass herds of Palestinian shepherds grazing on land in the same region as his Meitarim Farm outpost.
Violence in the West Bank has spiked since the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.
According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 950 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops, or terrorists carrying out attacks.
The military says troops have arrested some 6,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 affiliated with Hamas, since the October 7 onslaught.
During the same period, 53 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.
Agencies contributed to this report.
Israeli settler arrested after fatal shooting of Palestinian activist featured in ‘No Other Land’
Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian English teacher and activist, was shot and killed Monday. He was killed during a confrontation with Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair. Israeli police identified Yinon Levi, a settler from the unauthorized outpost of Havat Ma’on, as the suspect in the shooting. Police detained him on suspicion of “reckless conduct resulting in death and unlawful use of a firearm,” according to the New York Times. Levi was placed under house arrest following a court appearance.
Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian English teacher and activist featured in the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was shot and killed Monday during a confrontation with Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair.
According to witnesses and human rights groups cited in multiple media reports, the incident began when settlers arrived with a bulldozer and began clearing land near the Palestinian community. Tensions escalated, and Hathaleen, 31, was struck by gunfire. He was transported to an Israeli hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
On Tuesday, Israeli police identified Yinon Levi, a settler from the unauthorized outpost of Havat Ma’on, as the suspect in the shooting. Police detained him on suspicion of “reckless conduct resulting in death and unlawful use of a firearm,” according to the New York Times. Levi was placed under house arrest following a court appearance. An attorney representing Levi says his client acted in self-defense during a confrontation in which stones were thrown.
Levi, who owns an earthworks company that has been used by the Israeli military for demolitions, had previously been sanctioned by the Biden administration for alleged acts of violence against Palestinians. Those sanctions were lifted in January by President Donald Trump. Sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom and European Union remain in place.
Hathaleen, a father of three, had long documented life in Masafer Yatta, a cluster of Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills that face displacement due to Israeli military zoning and settlement expansion. Footage he filmed was featured in “No Other Land,” a documentary co-directed by Palestinian and Israeli activists that won Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Hathaleen had visited the United States in June but was detained upon arrival at San Francisco International Airport along with his cousin Eid.
The two were invited to speak at events organized by Kehilla Community Synagogue in the Bay Area. Though they held valid visas, U.S. border officials canceled their entry and deported them the following day without providing a public explanation. Kehilla’s leaders described the treatment as “ridiculous and insane” and held a vigil in protest.
The shooting comes amid rising violence in the West Bank, where confrontations between settlers and Palestinian residents have intensified since the start of the war in Gaza.
Rights groups have long raised concerns about a lack of accountability for violence committed by settlers, noting that Palestinians fall under military law while settlers are generally subject to Israeli civilian law. Settlers say they’re being unfairly blamed for defending themselves against regular Palestinian attacks.