60 Palestinian Women Hunger Strike Demand Body Return West Bank Activist

Awdah Hathaleen, a well-known Palestinian activist and English teacher, was fatally shot by Israeli settler Yinon Levi in broad daylight in the village of Umm al-Khair, West Bank. Despite video evidence and eyewitness accounts, Levi, previously sanctioned for violence against Palestinians and whose sanctions were lifted by the Trump administration, was released from house arrest, while Israeli authorities continue to hold Hathaleen's body and have imposed restrictive burial conditions that his family has refused. In response, over 60 Palestinian women from Umm al-Khair have launched a hunger strike demanding the unconditional return of Hathaleen's body and the release of other detained villagers. The hunger strike has drawn attention to the broader issue of settler violence and impunity in the occupied West Bank, with Amnesty International and other human rights groups condemning the killing as a cold-blooded execution. Hathaleen was internationally recognized for his role in the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," which highlighted settler violence. Protests have also taken place in Israeli cities demanding justice for Hathaleen, underscoring the ongoing tensions and calls for accountability.