Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian activist and contributor to the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was shot and killed on Monday during an attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank village of Umm al-Khair, according to local witnesses and officials.
Reports indicate that he was shot and killed by Israeli settler Yinon Levi, who was arrested at the scene. Levi had previously been sanctioned by the Biden administration for violence against Palestinians but was later removed from the sanctions list by President Donald Trump.
Hathaleen’s death was first reported by Israeli investigative journalist Yuval Abraham, co-director of No Other Land. A video shared by Abraham on X shows Levi firing a gun multiple times while confronting Palestinian villagers.
ינון לוי, מתנחל שהוטלו עליו סנקציות בגין אלימות קשה כלפי פלסטינים, יורה לעבר תושבים במסאפר יטא. עודה הדאלין, חבר שסייע לנו לצלם את אין ארץ אחרת, נורה בפלג גופו העליון ומצבו קשה. תושבים אמרו שלוי הוא היורה pic.twitter.com/awwvSVkE7J
— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) July 28, 2025
According to activists from Umm al-Khair in the South Hebron Hills, the violence began when a settler driving a bulldozer entered village land, destroying trees and damaging property.
Witnesses said that when a resident attempted to stop the bulldozer, the driver struck him with the blade. In response, villagers threw stones. Levi then reportedly emerged from the settlement and opened fire. Hathaleen, who was standing at a distance from the confrontation, was struck by a bullet and later died from his injuries.
The Israeli military confirmed that an Israeli citizen had been detained for “reckless conduct resulting in death and unlawful use of a firearm,” but did not name Levi. Authorities said an investigation is underway.
In March, Hamdan Ballal, another co-director of No Other Land, was also targeted by Israeli settlers outside his home in the village of Susya, part of the Masafer Yatta region in the occupied West Bank. He was later blindfolded and detained at an army base for 24 hours, where he was forced to sleep under a freezing air conditioner.
According to Palestinian health officials, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 injured in the West Bank since October 2023.
