Israel charges settler over killing of Palestinian involved in Oscar-winning West Bank film

An Israeli settler has been charged in connection with the death of a Palestinian activist in the occupied West Bank, who contributed to the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land."

Yinon Levy faces charges of reckless manslaughter stemming from the July 2025 shooting of Odeh Hathaleen in the village of Umm Al-Khair, as confirmed by Israel's Southern District Prosecutor's Office.

This indictment marks the first instance in nearly three years that an Israeli has been charged for killing a Palestinian in the West Bank, according to the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem.

Hathaleen's family's lawyer expressed hope that these charges could signify a "turning point" in holding settlers accountable for violence against Palestinians.

In a letter reviewed by The Associated Press, Levy declared his intention to contest the charges in court, arguing that acts of self-defense should not be penalized and accusing prosecutors of "de facto support for terrorism." Levy's lawyer, Avichai Hajbi, informed the AP that the prosecution's decision was "mistaken."

The charges against Levy also include armed trespassing and malicious property damage. These stem from an incident where settlers used an excavator in Umm al-Khair, leading to a confrontation with residents. The indictment alleges that during this confrontation, Levy cocked his gun and fired towards residents, striking Hathaleen, before firing another shot into the air.

Footage of the incident was widely circulated online. Levy has previously denied firing the fatal shot.

B'Tselem noted that this indictment is the first since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which initiated the Gaza war and coincided with an increase in settler violence in the West Bank.

Since October 7, 2023, at least 1,110 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank, according to the UN. In the same period, at least 41 Israelis have been killed by Palestinian armed groups or civilians in the West Bank, the UN reported.

B'Tselem characterized the decision to indict Levy as "the exception that proves the rule," stating, "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."

Mattan Berner-Kadish, an Israeli-American activist present at the scene, told the BBC that while there was "happiness that anything is happening," there was also a feeling that it "should be a murder charge and a longer maximum sentence." He described his feelings as "mixed but also certainly pleasantly surprised and happy there might be consequences."

Hathaleen, a teacher and father of three, was a prominent opponent of settler violence in the occupied West Bank. He was featured in the 2025 Oscar-winning film "No Other Land," which chronicles the legal battle between the Israeli government and Palestinians over Masafer Yatta, a West Bank community comprising approximately 20 villages. In 2022, Israel's Supreme Court ruled to permit the demolition of homes and expulsion of over 1,000 villagers.

Levy, who leads an outpost farm, was sanctioned by the UK in 2024 for allegedly using "physical aggression, threatened families at gunpoint, and destroyed property as part of a targeted and calculated effort to displace Palestinian communities," as stated by the UK government at the time. He denied these allegations to the BBC in 2024. He was also sanctioned by the US under the Biden administration, though those sanctions were later lifted under President Donald Trump.

The BBC has previously reported on Palestinians targeted by Israeli settlers and an Israeli West Bank settler who justified attacks on Palestinians as revenge.