Israeli settler accused of killing No Other Land activist released under house arrest
An Israeli court has released to house arrest a settler suspected of killing a Palestinian activist in the occupied West Bank on Monday.
Yinon Levi, a settler sanctioned by the US for violent attacks against Palestinians, is facing charges of manslaughter and unlawful use of a firearm in connection with the death of Awdah Hathaleen.
Hathaleen, 31, was an English teacher and a peaceful anti-settlement activist. He also worked on the production team of the Academy Award-winning documentary No Other Land.
The Magistrate’s Court declined to keep Levi in custody, despite video evidence showing him firing at an unarmed Palestinian crowd in the hamlet of Umm al-Khair, in Masafer Yatta near Hebron, where Hathaleen was killed.
The court’s decision was not challenged by the police, who are investigating Levi for Hathaleen’s killing. The police also made the unusual decision to allow the suspect to meet with his family prior to the hearing, according to Haaretz.
