In, a controversial court decision in Israel is drawing international criticism as tensions escalate across the occupied West Bank. An Israeli settler accused of fatally shooting a well-known Palestinian activist has been released from house arrest despite eyewitness accounts, video evidence, and international sanctions.
The suspect, Yinon Levi, was charged with manslaughter and illegal use of a firearm after the death of 31-year-old Awdah Hathaleen, a teacher and community organizer from Masafer Yatta a region symbolizing decades of Palestinian resistance to settlement expansion.
Hathaleen was shot in Umm al-Kheir, south of Hebron, Monday night. Video released by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem appears to show Levi opening fire during a confrontation. Despite this footage and Levi’s history of sanctions by both the EU and the U.S. for violent actions against Palestinians, an Israeli court declined to keep him in custody, instead placing him under house arrest.
Levi’s release has triggered outrage, especially from the co-directors of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, a film which highlighted Israel’s military presence in Masafer Yatta. Filmmaker Yuval Abraham called the legal system “a mechanism that punishes the victims and shields the perpetrators.” He noted that while Levi returned home under house arrest, Hathaleen’s own family members were arrested in the aftermath.
Co-director Basel Adra mourned Hathaleen as a “dear friend and fearless activist,” sharing on social media that he was shot outside the community center in his village.
The killing came amid growing settler violence in the West Bank. In a new report this week, B’Tselem accused Israel of carrying out acts amounting to genocide in Gaza, while also documenting a sharp increase in daily attacks by settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank including home invasions, arson, and armed assaults.
In total, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023.
The death toll continued to rise this week. On the same night as Hathaleen’s killing, the Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the death of Mohammad Samer Suleiman al-Jamal, 27, who was shot by Israeli forces at a checkpoint north of Hebron. According to reports, soldiers prevented medical aid from reaching him, leading to his death from blood loss.
As for the village of Masafer Yatta, it remains under threat. Israel has designated the area a military firing zone, raising the risk of forced displacement for its Palestinian residents—many of whom have lived there for generations.
The release of Yinon Levi has intensified calls for international oversight, with human rights groups warning of a deepening crisis of impunity within Israel’s treatment of Palestinians under occupation.
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Reporting by Carl Montel.
