Israel charges settler Yinon Levi with manslaughter of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen

The indictment

Israeli prosecutors filed an indictment on Thursday, August 6, charging Yinon Eliya Levi, a 33-year-old settler from Ma'on, with reckless manslaughter in the death of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen. The Southern District Prosecutor's Office filed the charges at the Beersheba district court, which also include armed trespassing and willful property damage. A conviction for reckless manslaughter could result in up to 12 years in prison. The case marks the first indictment of an Israeli settler for killing a Palestinian in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, according to B'Tselem. The Israeli Justice Ministry wrote on X that Levi was charged with firing toward an area where people were present during a confrontation over earthworks on private land.

The incident

Hathaleen was killed in July 2025 (the New York Times reports June 2025) during a confrontation in his village of Umm al-Khair, in the Masafer Yatta region near Hebron. The clash erupted when settlers operated a large excavator on private Palestinian land. Footage released by B'Tselem shows Levi drawing a weapon and firing toward a crowd of Palestinians. Hathaleen, who was filming the confrontation, captured the moment he was shot on camera; the footage ends with audio of him moaning as he falls. Palestinian rights group Al-Haq conducted a forensic investigation using this footage. Levi's lawyer, Avichai Hajbi, has previously said his client acted in self-defense, claiming Palestinians were throwing stones and that Levi fired into the air because he believed his life was in danger.

A rare prosecution

The last time an Israeli settler was indicted for killing a Palestinian was in 2019, according to Ziv Stahl, executive director of the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din. The organization examined more than 1,700 cases of Jewish extremist violence in the West Bank from 2005 to 2024 and found that 3 percent ended in a full or partial conviction. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed at least 1,100 Palestinians in the West Bank, among them at least 240 children, according to United Nations data cited by Reuters. B'Tselem described the indictment as exceptional.

The decision to indict Yinon Levi is the exception that proves the rule. The impunity Israel grants to soldiers and settlers who harm Palestinians is not a failure of the system, it is a central component of a policy designed to allow the violence to continue and escalate.

Reactions from the family and legal counsel

Hathaleen's family expressed relief but frustration that prosecutors did not bring a more severe charge. Khalil Hathaleen, 39, the victim's brother, said the family's hometown has faced frequent attacks since the killing.

We hope we will achieve justice for Awdah. That's our sole demand.

Hathaleen's attorney, Eitan Peleg, called the indictment a very important decision and said he hoped it would set a precedent for future cases involving crimes against Palestinians. He noted that many Palestinians are killed by settlers or the army, but this was the first time a full investigation was held.

Sanctions and broader context

The United States and the European Union placed sanctions on Levi in April 2024 for previous violent attacks on Palestinians. Britain also sanctioned him. US President Donald Trump lifted the US sanctions after taking office in 2025. Approximately 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank among some three million Palestinians, according to multiple sources. The International Court of Justice has ruled Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories unlawful and demanded an immediate halt to settlement construction, a ruling Israel rejected. The Israeli military says it investigates instances of wrongdoing by its soldiers and that it and the police take steps to crack down on settler violence.