Video Appears To Show The Moment A Palestinian Activist Is Killed As An Israeli Settler Opens Fire

TEL AVIV, Israel — New video footage appears to show nan infinitesimal a Palestinian activistic was killed arsenic an Israeli settler fired toward him during a confrontation pinch unarmed Palestinians successful the occupied West Bank past month.

The video released Sunday by B’Tselem, an Israeli quality authorities group, shows Israeli settler Yinon Levi firing a weapon toward nan personification filming. The footage cuts but nan camera keeps rolling arsenic nan personification moans successful pain.

B’Tselem says it obtained nan video from nan family of Awdah Hathaleen, 31, an activist, English coach and begetter of 3 who was changeable and killed connected July 28, and who they said had filmed it. Levi, who is shown firing his weapon doubly successful a video changeable by different witnesser and obtained by The Associated Press, was concisely detained and past released from location apprehension by an Israeli court, which cited deficiency of evidence.

The shooting occurred successful Umm al-Khair, a colony that has agelong weathered settler unit successful an area profiled successful nan Oscar-winning movie “No Other Land.” Settler attacks connected Palestinians person spiked since nan outbreak of nan Israel-Hamas war, arsenic person attacks by Palestinian militants.

“Awdah’s sidesplitting is different horrific illustration of really Palestinians, some successful Gaza and successful nan West Bank, are presently surviving without immoderate benignant of protection, afloat exposed to Israeli violence, while Israeli soldiers aliases settlers tin termination them successful wide daylight and bask afloat impunity while nan world watches,” said Sarit Michaeli, nan world outreach head for B’Tselem.

Levi was antecedently nether U.S. sanctions that were lifted by nan Trump administration.

Both videos look to show nan aforesaid confrontation betwixt Levi and a group of Palestinians. The earlier video shows him firing 2 shots from a pistol but doesn’t show wherever nan bullets struck. Several witnesses had told nan AP they saw Levi sprout Hathaleen.

Avichai Hajbi, a lawyer representing Levi, told nan AP that Levi acted successful self-defense — without specifying what his actions were. Hajbi pointed to a court’s determination earlier this period that released Levi from location arrest, citing insufficient evidence. The judge said Levi did not airs a threat justifying continued location arrest, but barred him from interaction pinch nan villagers for a month.

The Israeli constabulary didn’t instantly respond to a petition for remark astir whether they’d seen nan videos.

B’Tselem said Levi was pinch a unit that brought an excavator from a adjacent colony into Umm al-Khair. Residents, fearing it would trim nan village’s main h2o line, gathered connected a ungraded roadworthy to effort and artifact its path, and astatine slightest 1 individual threw a chromatic astatine nan vehicle’s beforehand window.

Levi past confronted nan crowd while waving a handgun.

The caller video shows Levi arguing heatedly pinch 3 men earlier firing nan weapon successful nan guidance of nan personification filming. Hathaleen was opinionated astatine nan colony organization halfway astir 40 meters (130 feet) from nan confrontation, said B’Tselem. The slug deed him successful nan thorax and he collapsed connected nan spot, it said.

Eitan Peleg, a lawyer for Hathaleen’s family, said they told him Hathaleen had changeable nan footage connected his phone. He said nan constabulary asked him for nan video, which they hadn’t seen. Peleg said he’s urging nan territory tribunal to analyse Levi for much superior crimes.

Levi helped found a settler outpost adjacent Umm al-Khair that anti-settlement activists opportunity is simply a bastion for convulsive settlers who person displaced hundreds since nan commencement of nan war. Palestinians and authorities groups person agelong accused Israeli authorities of turning a unsighted oculus to settler violence.

In a 2024 interview, Levi told nan AP that he was protecting his ain onshore and denied utilizing violence.

After Hathaleen’s killing, Israel’s service initially refused to return his assemblage for funeral unless conditions were met for nan funeral, including limiting nan number of group and nan location. After an statement was made pinch nan constabulary astir a week later, Hathaleen’s assemblage was returned and buried.

Hathaleen had written and spoken retired against settler unit and had helped nutrient nan Oscar-winning film. Supporters person erected murals successful his grant successful Rome, held vigils successful New York and person held signs base his sanction astatine anti-war protests successful Tel Aviv.