Israeli Prosecutors Charge Settler Yinon Levi With Manslaughter

Israeli prosecutors charged Yinon Levi on Thursday with reckless manslaughter for the July 2025 killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen. The incident took place in the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair during a confrontation involving an excavator clearing Palestinian land. Hathaleen, who appeared in the documentary "No Other Land," was filming the event when he was shot. Levi also faces charges of armed trespassing and malicious property damage.

Human rights organizations B'Tselem and Yesh Din described the indictment as rare, noting it is the first time since October 7, 2023, that an Israeli has been indicted for killing a Palestinian in the West Bank, and the first civilian indictment of its kind since 2019. B'Tselem argued that the impunity typically granted to soldiers and settlers is a central component of policy rather than a system failure.

Levi, who has previously been sanctioned by the U.S., UK, and EU, claims his life was at risk during the encounter and characterized the charges as "de facto support for terrorism." His lawyer, Avichay Hajbi, called the prosecution a "mistaken decision."