Palestinian Journalist Killed in Altercation with Israeli Settler
Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian journalist and activist involved in the Oscar-winning documentary *No Other Land*, was fatally shot during a confrontation with Israeli settlers in the south Hebron hills.
The incident, recorded on video, appears to show an Israeli settler, Yinon Levi, firing his weapon during the altercation. Levi had previously faced U.S. sanctions, which were later lifted.
Israeli police detained him for questioning, though no formal charges have been filed.
The killing follows increased violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Since October 2023, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the region. Settler attacks on Palestinians rarely result in legal consequences.
According to residents of Umm al-Khair, where the shooting occurred, the confrontation began when a settler operating a bulldozer entered their land, damaging trees and property. When a villager approached to intervene, the bulldozer struck him. In response, residents threw stones, at which point Levi reportedly emerged from a settlement and began shooting. Hathaleen, who was standing at a distance, was hit by a bullet.
"Awdah, my dear friend, was killed tonight," wrote Basel Adra, co-director of *No Other Land*. "He was standing near the village community center when a settler's bullet struck his chest and ended his life."
Before his death, Hathaleen sent a message urging action against settler expansion in Umm al-Khair. "The settlers are targeting our homes and tried to cut the village's water supply. Please do whatever you can to help," his message read.
Yuval Abraham, an Israeli co-director of the documentary, shared footage of the gunfire during the attack.
The Palestinian Authority’s education ministry stated that Hathaleen "was shot by settlers during their assault on Umm al-Khair."
The Israeli military confirmed the event, stating an armed civilian fired at a group throwing stones. Police arrested one Israeli for questioning, while military forces detained seven individuals from Umm al-Khair, including two foreign activists.
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