Daijiworld Media Network – Ramallah

Ramallah, Aug 12: Fresh video evidence released by Israeli rights group B’Tselem appears to capture the moment a Palestinian activist, Awdah Hathaleen (31), was fatally shot by Israeli settler Yinon Levi during a confrontation in Umm al-Khair village, occupied West Bank, on July 28.

The footage, reportedly filmed by Hathaleen himself, shows Levi firing towards the person holding the camera. Moments later, Hathaleen can be heard moaning in pain. B’Tselem said the activist – an English teacher, father of three, and outspoken critic of settler violence – was struck in the chest and collapsed instantly.

Another video, shot by a witness and obtained by the Associated Press, shows Levi firing twice but not where the bullets landed. Several witnesses told AP they saw Levi shoot Hathaleen. Levi was briefly detained but later released from house arrest, with an Israeli court citing insufficient evidence.

B’Tselem alleged Levi was part of a group that brought an excavator into the village, prompting residents to block its path over fears it would cut the main water supply. At least one stone was thrown at the vehicle before Levi confronted villagers with a handgun.

Sarit Michaeli, B’Tselem’s international outreach director, called the killing “another horrific example” of Palestinians being left without protection and settlers acting with “full impunity.”

Levi, previously under US sanctions lifted during the Trump administration, has denied using violence, claiming self-defense. Hathaleen’s death sparked global tributes, with murals in Rome, vigils in New York, and solidarity signs at protests in Tel Aviv.

His body was initially withheld by Israeli authorities, with burial permitted only after conditions were agreed upon. Hathaleen had also contributed to the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, which profiles the struggles of West Bank communities under settler pressure.