// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Israel charges settler over killing of Palestinian involved in Oscar-winning West Bank film
Odeh Hathaleen was shot in Umm Al-Khair village in the occupied West Bank
Israeli prosecutors have charged a settler over the killing of a Palestinian activist in the occupied West Bank who helped film Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land.
Yinon Levy was charged with reckless manslaughter over the July 2025 shooting of Odeh Hathaleen, according to Israel's Southern District Prosecutor's Office.
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.
A lawyer for Hathaleen's family said they hoped the charges marked a "turning point" in the consequences settlers face for violence against Palestinians.
In a letter seen by The Associated Press, Levy said he would fight for his innocence in court.
He wrote that prosecutors should not penalise acts of self-defence and accused them of providing "de facto support for terrorism", the news agency reported.
A lawyer for Levy, Avichai Hajbi, told the AP the prosecution had made a "mistaken decision".
The charges against Levy also include armed trespassing and malicious property damage during the incident in which settlers operated an excavator in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, leading to a confrontation with residents.
According to the indictment, at some point during the confrontation Levy cocked his gun and fired in the direction of residents, hitting Hathaleen. He then fired another shot into the air, prosecutors said.