Palestinian Activist Featured in Oscar-Winning Film Killed by Israeli Settler

By Amit Kumar

Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian educator and activist who played a role in the acclaimed documentary No Other Land, was fatally shot on Monday, July 28, in the village of Masafer Yatta, located in the Hebron area of the occupied West Bank. He was 31 years old.

Hathaleen, who taught English at Al-Saray’a Secondary School in Albadawiya, was standing near thecommunity center in his hometown when an Israeli settler opened fire, according to eyewitnesses. A bullet struck him in the chest, killing him on the spot.

Basel Adra, a co-director of No Other Land of Hathaleen, confirmed his death on social media, sharing a photo of them together. “My dear friend Awdah was slaughtered this evening,” he wrote.

“He was murdered in front of the community center. This is how Israel erases us – one life at a time.”

Hathaleen leaves behind his wife and three young children, the oldest just six years old.

Hathaleen’s killing coincided with the release of a new report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, which accused Israel of carrying out acts of genocide against Palestinians in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

+972 Magazine, which had worked closely with Hathaleen, described him as a valued contributor.

Just last month, In June, Hathaleen and his cousin Eid were stopped by authorities at San Francisco International Airport just before they were set to begin an interfaith speaking tour arranged by the California-based Kehilla Community Synagogue.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have reportedly killed over 1,000 Palestinians in the

West Bank, as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza continues