In ‘first-of-its-kind’ indictment, Israel charges settler in killing of Palestinian activist in West Bank

Israeli authorities have indicted settler Yinon Levi for the killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in the West Bank, marking the first time such an indictment has been issued since the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the Israel-Hamas war, according to B’Tselem, an Israeli rights group. Levi, 33, from Ma'aleh Adumim, faces charges of reckless manslaughter, trespassing, and willful property damage, with a potential maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.

The indictment alleges that Levi fired his gun toward a crowd during a confrontation over earthworks on private land, resulting in Hathaleen's death on July 28, 2025. The Southern District Prosecutor's Office filed the indictment, accusing Levi of reckless manslaughter, trespassing, and malicious property damage. Levi, who denies the charges and claims the acts were acts of self-defense, stating that the prosecution is "de facto supporting terrorism."

Hathaleen, a resident of Umm al-Khair village in Masafer Yatta, a military zone declared by Israel, was killed during a settler attack. Palestinian rights group Al-Haq conducted a forensic investigation using footage showing Levi shooting at a crowd in Umm al-Khair the day he was killed. B’Tselem obtained the video from Hathaleen's family.