Israeli Settler Accused of Killing Palestinian Activist to Be Released from House Arrest as Body Still Withheld

TEL AVIV:  An Israeli court has ruled to release Yinon Levi, a settler accused of killing Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, from house arrest, sparking renewed outrage over settler violence and judicial double standards in the occupied West Bank.

Levi was caught on video earlier this week during a confrontation in the village of Umm Al-Khair, a community featured in the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, which chronicles life under Israeli occupation and the impact of settler expansion.

Footage filmed by a Palestinian witness shows Levi holding a pistol and engaging in a scuffle with a group of unarmed Palestinians. He is seen firing two shots; while the video does not show who was hit, eyewitnesses say one of the bullets fatally struck Hathaleen, an English teacher, father of three, and vocal opponent of settler violence who was not involved in the clash.

Hathaleen’s body remains in Israeli military custody. Officials say it will only be released if the family agrees to bury him in a government-approved cemetery outside the village—a demand his family has rejected.

“We’ve lost our loved one, and now they deny us the right to bury him in his own village,” said a relative. “This is not just injustice; it is humiliation.”

A group of 70 women in Umm Al-Khair launched a hunger strike on Friday, calling for the return of the body and for the family’s right to bury Hathaleen in his hometown.

In the ruling obtained by The Associated Press, Judge Havi Toker acknowledged there was “no dispute” that Levi fired his weapon that day. However, she said the court could not determine whether his bullets were the cause of Hathaleen’s death and that Levi may have acted in self-defense.

The judge argued that Levi no longer posed a threat significant enough to justify continued house arrest, though she prohibited him from contacting local residents for 30 days.

Neither the Israeli military nor police responded to questions about whether any other individuals may have fired weapons during the confrontation. Levi and his attorney also declined to comment.

Levi has been previously sanctioned by the United States and other Western nations over his involvement in violent acts against Palestinians. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump reversed those sanctions shortly after returning to office.

Following the incident in Umm Al-Khair, 18 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces. Six remain in detention.

Eitay Mack, an Israeli human rights lawyer and vocal critic of settler impunity, criticized the court’s decision:

“In the Israeli system, Palestinians are routinely treated as suspects—even in death—while Jewish settlers, even with video evidence, are often treated as victims.”

Levi is known for establishing an unauthorized settler outpost near Umm Al-Khair, which activists say has become a hub for violent settlers involved in land seizures and the displacement of Palestinians—particularly since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in late 2023.

Aged 31, Hathaleen was a well-known figure in his community and internationally. He was a co-producer of No Other Land and regularly documented and protested settler violence.

Since his death, supporters have held vigils in New York, painted murals in Rome, and carried banners bearing his name at anti-war demonstrations in Tel Aviv.

“His voice was for peace and justice,” said one of the film’s directors. “Silencing him with bullets will not erase his message.”

As Israel’s military holds on to his body and Levi walks free, human rights advocates warn that the cycle of impunity surrounding settler violence continues to deepen.