JERUSALEM — Israeli prosecutors have charged a Jewish settler with reckless manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Palestinian activist Owdeh Hathaleen, marking one of the rare criminal indictments against an Israeli over the killing of a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank amid heightened scrutiny of settler violence.
The indictment, filed by Israel's State Attorney's Office, charges Yinon Levi with reckless manslaughter, armed trespassing and malicious property damage in connection with a confrontation in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair in July 2025, according to court documents and prosecutors.
Prosecutors allege Levi was involved in a confrontation after settlers entered the village with heavy equipment, leading to clashes with Palestinian residents. Video footage released by the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem shows Levi drawing a handgun and firing in the direction of Hathaleen, who was filming the incident before he was struck by a bullet.
Levi has denied wrongdoing. His lawyer said the shooting was an act of self-defense and described the indictment as a mistake, according to Israeli media reports cited by Reuters.
Hathaleen, a well-known community activist from Umm al-Khair, died after suffering a gunshot wound during the confrontation. He had been involved in the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," which chronicled Palestinian communities facing pressure from settlement expansion in the South Hebron Hills.
Human rights groups said the case stands out because prosecutions of Israeli settlers over the deaths of Palestinians are uncommon. Israeli rights organizations B'Tselem and Yesh Din have long argued that investigations into settler violence frequently end without indictments, while Israeli authorities say they investigate criminal offenses regardless of the identity of suspects.
The indictment comes against the backdrop of increased violence in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. The United Nations and human rights organizations have reported a rise in attacks involving settlers and Palestinian casualties during that period, while Israeli officials have cited security threats and attacks against Israelis in the territory.
Levi, who has previously been sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom over allegations of violence against Palestinians, is not being held in custody while the legal proceedings continue, according to the case record.
The case will now proceed through Israel's court system, where prosecutors must prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
