What Israeli settler encroachment, intimidation look like in the West Bank
Key Takeaways
- Israeli settler Yinon Levi, implicated in the murder of Awdah Hathaleen, has returned to Umm al-Khair, causing fear and anger among the Palestinian community.
- Umm al-Khair residents face ongoing threats, including home demolitions by Israeli authorities and intensified attacks by settlers from the illegal al-Karmil settlement.
- Yinon Levi is a sanctioned settler known for violence and facilitating the establishment of illegal settler outposts on Palestinian land.
- The recent conflict escalated when settlers attempted to expand onto village land, leading Levi to use an excavator on private Palestinian property.
- The fatal shooting of Awdah Hathaleen occurred when villagers tried to stop Levi's excavator from destroying their land, prompting Levi to allegedly fire into the crowd.
The Bedouin community of Umm al-Khair in the occupied West Bank is gripped by fear and anger as Israeli settler Yinon Levi, implicated in the recent murder of Awdah Hathaleen, returns to the area. Village leaders are urging residents to stay indoors to prevent further violence or arrests, as the community has long suffered from home demolitions by Israeli authorities and escalating settler aggression, particularly since the war in Gaza began. Levi is a notorious settler, sanctioned by the EU for violent attacks, who also runs a company facilitating illegal settler outposts and has been hired to demolish Palestinian homes. Settlers from the nearby illegal settlement of al-Karmil have recently attempted to expand onto village land by planting flags and planning caravan outposts, requiring Levi to level private Palestinian property. When villagers attempted to stop Levi's excavator from plowing through their land, which an Israeli court had upheld their right to fence off, Levi allegedly fired into the crowd, killing Awdah Hathaleen on July 28th.
