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B’Tselem Footage Appears to Show Settler Firing Fatal Shot at Palestinian Activist

Activists have renewed demands for accountability following a court decision that freed the settler seen firing in the footage

Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinian activist Awdah Al Hathaleen, who was killed by Israeli settler according to Palestinian health officials, in the West Bank Bedouin village of Umm al-Khair, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Mourners carry the body of Palestinian activist Awdah Al Hathaleen, who was killed by Israeli settler according to Palestinian health officials, during his funeral in the West Bank Bedouin village of Umm al-Khair, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
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Overview

  • On August 11, B’Tselem released video footage that appears to show settler Yinon Levi aiming and firing a handgun at Awdah Hathaleen in Umm al-Khair on July 28, capturing the exact moment of the fatal shot.
  • Despite the footage and witness accounts, an Israeli court freed Levi from house arrest earlier this month, citing insufficient evidence to continue detention.
  • Sarit Michaeli of B’Tselem described Hathaleen’s killing as emblematic of Palestinians living unprotected while settlers kill with impunity in the occupied West Bank.
  • Legal experts and Hathaleen’s family are urging the district court to launch a full investigation into the shooting and pursue more serious charges.
  • The case has drawn international attention to a surge in settler violence since the Israel-Hamas war and the challenges Palestinians face in securing justice.