The Israeli army on Tuesday disrupted and shut down a vigil held in memory of Palestinian human rights activist Awdah Hathaleen in his hometown of Umm al-Khair in the occupied West Bank, marking one year since he was killed by an Israeli settler. Member of the Israeli Knesset Ofer Kassif, who was present at the vigil, confronted the soldier who was calling on the gathering to “get out of here” after the area was suddenly designated a “closed military zone”. Hathaleen was shot dead last year by Israeli settler Yinon Levi, who has since been released from detainment despite video footage showing the moment he killed Hathaleen. Levi was previously sanctioned by the United States and European Union in 2024 for his violent attacks on Palestinians and their property.
