Israel charges settler over killing of Palestinian involved in Oscar-winning West Bank film

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. Footage of the incident was shared widely online. Levy has previously denied firing the shot that killed Hathaleen.The indictment is the first since the Hamas-led-attack-on-southern-Israel" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="179977" data-entity-type="event">7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel which triggered the Gaza war and led to a rise in settler violence in the West Bank, B'Tselem said. At least 1,110 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank since then, according to the UN. At least 41 Israelis have been killed either by a Palestinian armed group or civilian in the West Bank during the same period, the UN said.B'Tselem described the decision to indict Levy as the "exception that proves the rule"."The impunity Israel grants to soldiers and settlers who harm Palestinians is not a failure of the system - it is a central component of a policy designed to allow the violence to continue and escalate," it said.Mattan Berner-Kadish, an Israeli-American activist who was at the scene, told the BBC: "I think the general reaction is happiness that anything is happening while also feeling that it should be a murder charge and a longer maximum sentence."Mixed feelings but also certainly pleasantly surprised and happy there might be consequences," he added.