Investigation links Israeli settler Yinon Levi to fatal shooting of Palestinian activist

On July 28, 2025, Israeli settlers entered privately owned land in Umm al-Khair, Masafer Yatta, and used excavators that struck residents, including Awdah Hathaleen’s cousin. During the ensuing violence, settler Yinon Levi shot Awdah in the chest, a wound that matched the defect identified in the autopsy and the caliber of Levi’s weapon. Al-Haq’s investigation found no armed Palestinians and no imminent threat, contradicting Levi’s self-defence claim.

After the shooting, Levi was photographed with Israeli forces, later detained briefly, and released to three days of house arrest. He heads the illegal Meitarim Farm outpost in the Southern Hebron Hills and draws labour from Hashomer Yosh, a network that supports settlement expansion. The report frames the killing as part of a broader pattern of state-backed settler violence that displaces Palestinians.