Israel charges settler Yinon Levi with killing Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in rare West Bank indictment

Israeli prosecutors have charged settler Yinon Levi with reckless manslaughter, armed trespassing, and property damage over the July 2025 shooting of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in Umm al-Khair. The indictment, carrying a maximum 12-year sentence, is the first since October 7, 2023, where an Israeli is charged with killing a West Bank Palestinian. While Hathaleen's family hopes this marks a turning point against settler violence, Levi claims self-defense and vows to fight the charges.

Yinon Levi manslaughter charges

• ▪Yinon Levi wrote to prosecutors stating he would fight for his innocence, arguing that his actions were self-defense and that the indictment represents de facto support for terrorism.
• ▪The reckless manslaughter charge filed against Yinon Levi in the Beersheba District Court carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison under Israeli law.
• ▪Israeli prosecutors charged settler Yinon Levi on August 6, 2026, with reckless manslaughter, armed trespassing, and malicious property damage over the July 2025 killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen.

Awdah Hathaleen shooting death

• ▪Awdah Hathaleen was a prominent community leader who contributed footage to the 2025 Oscar-winning documentary film No Other Land, which chronicled the struggle of Masafer Yatta residents.
• ▪Awdah Hathaleen, a 31-year-old English teacher, activist, and father of three, was shot and killed on July 28, 2025, in the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair.

Settler violence prosecutions

• ▪The indictment of Yinon Levi is the first time since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks that an Israeli has been indicted for killing a Palestinian in the West Bank.
• ▪Israeli rights group B’Tselem described the indictment of Yinon Levi as the exception that proves the rule, accusing Israel of granting systemic impunity to soldiers and settlers.
• ▪Yinon Levi was sanctioned by the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union in 2024 for violence against Palestinians, though his US sanctions were lifted under President Donald Trump.

Umm al-Khair July incident

• ▪During the confrontation, the excavator operator allegedly struck a resident in the head and shoulder with the excavator's bucket before Yinon Levi signaled him to break down another fence.
• ▪The July 2025 confrontation began when Yinon Levi ordered an excavator operator to clear an illegal route through privately owned Palestinian land in the village of Umm al-Khair.
• ▪Yinon Levi allegedly fired a pistol parallel to the ground from 20 meters away, striking Awdah Hathaleen in the chest while Hathaleen was filming the confrontation.

West Bank killings since 2023

• ▪Human rights group B’Tselem states that at least 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank since October 2023, including 37 killed by settlers.
• ▪According to the United Nations, at least 1,110 Palestinians and 41 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank since the October 7, 2023, attacks.

Perspective of Hathaleen Family and Rights Groups

• ▪The reckless manslaughter charge filed against Yinon Levi in the Beersheba District Court carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison under Israeli law.
• ▪Israeli rights group B’Tselem described the indictment of Yinon Levi as the exception that proves the rule, accusing Israel of granting systemic impunity to soldiers and settlers.