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.