TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — New video footage appears to show the second a Palestinian activist was killed as an Israeli settler fired towards him throughout a confrontation with unarmed Palestinians within the occupied West Financial institution final month.
The video launched Sunday by B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, exhibits Israeli settler Yinon Levi firing a gun towards the individual filming. The footage cuts however the digicam retains rolling because the individual moans in ache.
B’Tselem says it obtained the video from the household of Awdah Hathaleen, 31, an activist, English instructor and father of three who was shot useless on July 28, and who they mentioned had filmed it. Levi, who was shown firing his gun twice in video shot by one other witness and obtained by The Related Press, was briefly detained after which released from house arrest by an Israeli court docket, which cited lack of proof.
The capturing occurred in Umm al-Khair, a village that has lengthy weathered settler violence in an space profiled in the Oscar-winning film “No Other Land.” Settler assaults on Palestinians have spiked for the reason that outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, as have assaults by Palestinian militants.
“Awdah’s killing is one other horrific instance of how Palestinians, each in Gaza and within the West Financial institution, are presently residing with none form of safety, absolutely uncovered to Israeli violence, whereas Israeli troopers or settlers can kill them in broad daylight and revel in full impunity whereas the world watches,” mentioned Sarit Michaeli, the worldwide outreach director for B’Tselem.
Levi was beforehand below U.S. sanctions that were lifted by the Trump administration.
Tamir Kalifa through Getty Photographs
Each movies seem to indicate the identical confrontation between Levi and a gaggle of Palestinians. The sooner video confirmed him firing two photographs from a pistol however didn’t present the place the bullets struck. A number of witnesses instructed the AP they noticed Levi shoot Hathaleen.
Avichai Hajbi, a lawyer representing Levi, instructed the AP that Levi acted in self-defense — with out specifying what his actions had been. Hajbi pointed to a court docket’s determination earlier this month that released Levi from house arrest, citing inadequate proof. The decide mentioned Levi didn’t pose a hazard justifying continued home arrest, however barred him from contact with the villagers for a month.
The Israeli police didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark about whether or not they’d seen the movies.
B’Tselem mentioned Levi was with a crew that introduced an excavator from a close-by settlement into Umm al-Khair. Residents, fearing it could reduce the village’s foremost water line, gathered on a mud street to attempt to block its path, and a minimum of one particular person threw a stone on the automobile’s entrance window.
Levi then confronted the gang whereas waving a handgun.
The brand new video exhibits Levi arguing heatedly with three males earlier than firing the gun within the route of the individual filming. Hathaleen was standing on the village neighborhood middle about 40 meters (130 ft) from the confrontation, mentioned B’Tselem. The bullet hit him within the chest and he collapsed on the spot, it mentioned.
Eitan Peleg, a lawyer for Hathaleen’s household, mentioned they instructed him Hathaleen had shot the footage on his telephone. He mentioned the police requested him for the video, which they hadn’t seen. Peleg mentioned he’s urging the district court docket to research Levi for extra critical crimes.
Levi helped set up a settler outpost close to Umm al-Khair that anti-settlement activists say is a bastion for violent settlers who’ve displaced a whole lot for the reason that begin of the warfare. Palestinians and rights teams have lengthy accused Israeli authorities of turning a blind eye to settler violence.
In a 2024 interview, Levi instructed the AP he was defending his personal land and denied utilizing violence.
After Hathaleen’s killing, Israel’s military initially refused to return his body for burial except situations had been met for the funeral, together with limiting the variety of folks and the placement. After an settlement was made with the police a couple of week later, Hathaleen’s physique was returned and buried.
Hathaleen had written and spoken out in opposition to settler violence and had helped produce the Oscar-winning movie. Supporters have erected murals in his honor in Rome, held vigils in New York and have held indicators bearing his title at anti-war protests in Tel Aviv.
