Israel charges settler with manslaughter over killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen

Israeli prosecutors have charged a Jewish settler with reckless manslaughter over the killing of Awdah Hathaleen, a prominent Palestinian activist, in the occupied West Bank last July. The indictment, filed in district court on Thursday, names Yinon Levi, a resident of the southern West Bank, and also includes counts of armed trespassing and malicious property damage. Reckless manslaughter carries a lighter maximum sentence than murder under Israeli law.

The case is exceptional. Rights group B'Tselem said the charges represent the first indictment of an Israeli for the death of a Palestinian in the West Bank since 7 October 2023. In the intervening period, the organisation estimates that settlers and soldiers have killed at least 1,100 Palestinians in the territory. Levi's lawyer, Avichay Hajbi, described the prosecution's decision as a "mistaken decision" and said the defence would answer the accusations in court.

Video evidence and a public profile

Footage circulated widely on the day of the shooting in Umm al Khair, Hathaleen's village. One clip shows Levi firing two shots toward a crowd of Palestinians. A second, which relatives say Hathaleen filmed himself, captures Levi aiming toward the camera before the recording cuts out; the sound of a man moaning in pain can still be heard. Witnesses said Hathaleen was standing metres away when he was struck.

Hathaleen, a teacher and father of three, was a well-known campaigner against settler violence. He featured in the 2025 Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, which chronicled the struggle of Palestinian communities to defend their homes. His public profile and the existence of video evidence prompted international demands for prosecution. Levi had been placed under sanctions by the United States and other Western governments in 2024 over allegations of violence toward Palestinians, though those US measures were lifted after Donald Trump returned to the presidency.

What happens next

The case now moves to trial, where prosecutors must prove Levi acted with criminal negligence rather than intent to kill. A conviction would be a landmark moment in a legal system that critics say rarely holds settlers accountable for lethal force. For Palestinians in the West Bank, the proceedings will be watched as a measure of whether Israeli law can deliver justice across the Green Line.