Kathmandu— Israeli prosecutors have charged settler Yinon Levy with reckless manslaughter for the July 2025 killing of Odeh Hathaleen, a Palestinian activist and teacher who helped film the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land. The shooting occurred during a confrontation between settlers and residents in the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair.

Legal Proceedings

Levy was also charged with armed trespassing and malicious property damage, according to Israel's Southern District Prosecutor's Office. In a letter seen by The Associated Press, Levy stated he would fight for his innocence in court, arguing that prosecutors should not penalize acts of self-defence and accused them of providing “de facto support for terrorism.” A lawyer for Levy, Avichai Hajbi, told the AP that the prosecution had made a “mistaken decision.”

Impact on Rights Groups

Israeli rights group B'Tselem said it was the first time an Israeli had been indicted for killing a Palestinian in the West Bank for nearly three years. The indictment is seen as significant, especially given the rise in settler violence following the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. However, B'Tselem described the decision to indict Levy as “the exception that proves the rule,” highlighting the impunity granted to soldiers and settlers who harm Palestinians.

Community Reaction

A lawyer for Hathaleen's family expressed hope that the charges marked a “turning point” in the consequences faced by settlers for violence against Palestinians. Mattan Berner-Kadish, an Israeli-American activist present at the scene, told the BBC: “I think the general reaction is happiness that anything is happening while also feeling that it should be a murder charge and a longer maximum sentence.”

(With inputs from BBC News)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.