Israeli prosecutors have charged a settler, Yinon Levy, with reckless manslaughter in connection with the July 2025 shooting death of Odeh Hathaleen, a Palestinian activist who was involved in the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land." The indictment, filed by Israel's Southern District Prosecutor's Office, also includes charges of armed trespassing and malicious property damage related to an incident in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair.
According to the indictment, the confrontation occurred when settlers operated an excavator in Umm al-Khair, leading to a dispute with residents. Prosecutors allege that Levy cocked his gun and fired in the direction of residents, hitting Hathaleen, before firing another shot into the air. Footage of the incident was widely shared online, and Levy has previously denied firing the shot that killed Hathaleen.
Israeli rights group B'Tselem stated that this is the first indictment of an Israeli for killing a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank in nearly three years. B'Tselem described the decision to indict Levy as an anomaly, asserting that the impunity granted to soldiers and settlers who harm Palestinians is a deliberate policy component aimed at allowing violence to continue. A lawyer for Hathaleen's family expressed hope that the charges represent a "turning point" in accountability for settler violence against Palestinians.
Levy, who is also facing charges for his alleged actions during the confrontation, stated in a letter that he would fight for his innocence and believes prosecutors are penalizing acts of self-defense. His lawyer called the prosecution's decision "mistaken."
The indictment comes amid a significant rise in settler violence in the West Bank since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The United Nations reports that at least 1,110 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank since that date. During the same period, at least 41 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank, according to UN figures.
Odeh Hathaleen, a teacher and father of three, was a vocal opponent of settler violence and was featured in "No Other Land." The film documents the legal battles over Masafer Yatta, a community of approximately 20 villages in the West Bank, following an Israeli Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that permitted the demolition of homes and the expulsion of over 1,000 villagers.
Levy, identified as a leader of an outpost farm, was previously sanctioned by the United Kingdom in 2024 for using physical aggression and displacing Palestinian communities. He denied these allegations. He also faced U.S. sanctions under the Biden administration, which were later lifted during the Trump administration.