Palestinian teacher featured in award-winning documentary killed in settler attack

An Israeli settler killed Odeh Mohammad Al-Hathalin, a Palestinian teacher who was involved in the making of “No Other Land.”

According to Al Jazeera, Odeh Mohammad Al-Hathalin — a Palestinian activist and teacher from Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank, who had collaborated on the Oscar-winning documentary — was killed after being shot by an Israeli settler in the West Bank.

In addition to his role in the film “No Other Land”, which depicted Palestinian resistance to settler violence, Al-Hathalin was widely known for his activism across the West Bank.

On Monday, the Palestinian Ministry of Education announced on social media that Al-Hathalin was martyred during an attack by settlers on the village of Umm al-Kheir, near Hebron, after being shot by them.

Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist, and Basil al-Adra, a Palestinian journalist — co-directors of “No Other Land” — confirmed the news.

Basil al-Adra wrote on social media: "My dear friend Odeh was murdered tonight. He was standing in front of his village's community center when a settler fired a bullet that pierced his chest and took his life. This is how Israel kills us."

Abraham also described Odeh as a prominent activist who had helped film “No Other Land” in Masafer Yatta. He shared a video of the incident and wrote that local residents had identified the shooter as Yinon Levi, who has been sanctioned by both the European Union and the United States. In the video, Levi is seen firing wildly.

The Israeli police claimed they are investigating the incident. In a statement, they said that one Israeli citizen was detained at the scene and taken for questioning. Additionally, four Palestinians and two foreign tourists present at the scene were also detained.

According to WAFA, the Palestinian news agency, another Palestinian was injured during the same settler attack after being beaten, and was transferred to a hospital by ambulance.

Al-Hathalin was from Masafer Yatta — a cluster of small Palestinian villages located in the hills south of Hebron, where residents have been struggling for decades to remain in their homes, as the Israeli regime has designated the area as a “firing zone” or military training ground.

The efforts of Masafer Yatta residents to prevent the demolition of their homes by Israeli forces were the subject of the documentary “No Other Land”, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in March.

Al-Hathalin’s death comes as B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, released a report on Monday accusing the Israeli regime of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

B’Tselem reported an unprecedented rise in daily attacks by settlers — often armed and fully equipped — on Palestinians in the West Bank. These attacks include arson, theft, physical assault, armed threats, and the takeover of homes, all occurring with the support of the Israeli government, police, and military.

Approximately 3 million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank, while around 500,000 Israeli settlers reside in settlements that are illegal under international law.

On Monday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health also reported the death of a 27-year-old Palestinian who was shot dead by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in northern Hebron.

WAFA reported that Israeli forces left the wounded man to bleed to death and prevented ambulances from reaching him.

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed over 1,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.