Israeli settler kills Palestinian teacher who helped make Oscar-winning film
The Palestinian Authority 's ministry of education confirmed that he was ' shot dead by settlers' during an 'attack on the village of Umm al-Khair'.
Hadalin, 31, known widely for his advocacy against the displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, played a key role in supporting the production of No Other Land, the Oscar-winning documentary that captured the impact of Israeli military and settler violence on his community.
Filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Basel Adra, who co-directed the documentary, also confirmed Hadalin's killing. 'My dear friend Awdah was slaughtered this evening,' Mr Adra posted on X.
Odeh Muhammad Hadalin's name was sometimes spelt as Awdah Muhammad Hathaleen.
'He was standing in front of the community centre in his village when a settler fired a bullet that pierced his chest and took his life,' Mr Adra added. 'This is how Israel erases us — one life at a time.'
Mr Abraham called Hadalin 'a remarkable activist who helped us film No Other Land in Masafer Yatta'. He shared a video of the incident, adding that local 'residents identified Yinon Levi, sanctioned by the EU and US, as the shooter'.
The Independent could not verify the claim.
The Times of Israel, citing local Hebrew media, reported that one of the Israelis involved in the clash was Yinon Levi. The outlet called him 'an extremist settler' who was sanctioned by the US administration of Joe Biden, a measure revoked by Donald Trump's government.
Israeli police said they were investigating an 'incident near Carmel ', a settlement adjacent to the village of Umm al-Khair that Palestinians call Al-Karmil.
In June, Israeli soldiers blocked journalists from travelling to the West Bank villages featured in No Other Land during a trip organised by Mr Abraham and Mr Adra, meant to show growing settler violence.
Palestinian Authority and witnesses said that Hadalin was standing near a community centre when the settler opened fire.
Hadalin sustained critical injuries to his upper body during the incident and later died at the Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.
Four Palestinians and two foreigners present during the incident were detained, Al Jazeera reported. Another Palestinian man sustained injuries after he was reportedly assaulted by a settler and taken to a local hospital.
According to the news site Ynet, Levi was carrying out construction work for a new neighbourhood in Al-Karmil when, by his account, dozens of people from Umm al-Khair began throwing stones at him and several other Israelis.
Umm al-Khair lies within Masafer Yatta, a cluster of hamlets south of Hebron that Israel designated as a military training zone decades ago. Residents have since faced repeated demolitions and evictions.
The ongoing legal battle to protect their homes formed the backdrop of No Other Land, which resonated globally for its documentation of the community's resilience.
Hadalin's killing coincides with growing settler violence in the West Bank. Israeli human rights group B'Tselem this week accused Israel of perpetrating genocide in Gaza and the West Bank.
In its report, the group documented a sharp increase in settler attacks, ranging from arson and theft to armed assault, often carried out with what they described as state complicity.
Since October 2023, when Israel launched a devastating war on Gaza, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers and settlers, according to local health authorities.
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Scotsman
37 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Readers' Letters: Here's how John Swinney can dig himself out of a hole
A reader has thoughts on how John Swinney can help himself, and Scotland Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... John Swinney is digging a lot of holes for himself these days, culminating in the protests at his Edinburgh Fringe interview by pro-Palestine protesters demanding a more forceful condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza. He is paying the price for copying his predecessors playing at being world leaders instead of doing the job they were elected for. He may have found, however, a tightrope with which to pull himself out of the Indyref2 hole, if he succeeds in arguing down the planned motion to use a majority of list votes cast for pro-independence parties as a mandate for skipping Indyref2 and starting negotiations to leave the Union. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That should be easy because for the past several years the vote share of anti-UK parties in council and Westminster by-elections has hovered around 30 per cent, peaking at 35 per cent (30 per cent for the SNP) in last year's general election. First Minister John Swinney appearing with comedian Susan Morrison at the Edinburgh Fringe - the event was disrupted five times by six different groups of protesters (Picture: Craig Paton/PA Wire) Winning an outright majority of seats is going to be a big ask, but forming a government might be possible because it is very possible that the pro-UK party vote will be split in favour of the SNP. 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There are always two sides, or more, to the same story. This flies in the face of just what art is all about. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Can the Edinburgh Festival survive constant controversy especially given the steep costs for performers and the public alike and even the Fringe's Best Joke competition being cancelled? Exit stage left? Gerald Edwards, Glasgow Sort cladding The SNP's progress in removing possible fatal cladding from residential properties would embarrass a snail (your report, 2 August). Only 0.2 per cent of the possibly 1,500 buildings concerned have had the work completed. Unless they begin to take this seriously, it could perhaps outdo the ferries fiasco. Or worse. Forget the meetings with the US President, Mr Swinney. Or your regular missives on Gaza. This is something over which you have total responsibility. The SNP walk straight into avoidable quagmires time after time after time. We must hope and pray there is no tragic ending to this instance. Alexander McKay, Edinburgh Going bananas A few days ago a correspondent referred to Scotland as something akin to 'becoming a banana republic'. This stuck with me when I read about the plight of children in England living in temporary accommodation with their families. There are 164,040 children in this sorry position, the highest number on record (in Scotland the figure is a little over 10,000). Child poverty is a scourge in the UK (particularly in England and Wales) at the moment and the Labour government could mitigate things if they introduced an equivalent to the Scottish Child Payment or were not joined at the hip to the Tories' two-child benefit cap. They could also initiate a wealth tax to be applied to billionaires/millionaires but Rachel Reeves has made her opposition to this crystal clear. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I have no wish to indulge in point scoring on what is clearly a serious issue right across the UK, but surely the desperate situation south of the Border in terms of child poverty and children without permanent homes makes England much closer to a banana republic than Scotland! Alan Woodcock, Dundee Time to deliver Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's Special Envoy, will visit Russia this week on the back of the President ordering two nuclear submarines to be 'repositioned' closer to Russia. This unprecedented situation came after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused the President's trade ultimatums of taking 'a step towards war', potentially nuclear war. This war of words is not new but the action is. The timing of Trump's decision may not be accidental given Witkoff's pending meeting with Putin. Russia seems to have been taken by surprise, with no Kremlin response so far. 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With Trump upping the pressure, Witkoff's rapprochement with Putin will be put to the test. More is at stake, and it's time he delivers. Neil Anderson, Edinburgh Write to The Scotsman Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scots activists speak out as Palestine Action ban reviewed
Davidson, who is a senior figure in the Scottish [[Palestine]] Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), said: 'There is a very clear approach that has been taken by police up and down the UK. People have been arrested for wearing t-shirts and others have been challenged by police over [[Palestine]] flags and anti-Israel placards. 'Some of our members are more at risk when it comes to anti-terror legislation, and we've informed them of this. Of course, any risk we might take is nothing in comparison to what Palestinians are going through.' Protestors gathered in London ahead of the ban. (Image: Lucy North / PA) Davidson was one of several high-profile activists who were surveilled by police during US President Donald Trump's visit to Scotland last week. According to video evidence viewed by The National the force carried out daily bail checks at Davidson's address, as well as those of others. She told The Herald: 'It was a bit scary. I have a young daughter at home. I feel like I've disassociated at times, this isn't the country and the values people say they hold.' Davidson also hit out at Keir Starmer's plan to recognise the State of [[Palestine]] in September if [[Israel]] does not take steps to provide humanitarian aid and end the war in Gaza. She said: 'It's consistent with Keir Starmer's approach to this. He seems to believe that the inalienable rights of Palestinians, such as food, water, and self-determination, are dependent on Israel. That is not the case. 'An entire classroom of Palestinian children have been killed every day since the start of the war. If a classroom of Israeli children were being killed every day, there's no way Starmer would have given Israel a month's notice. 'The two-state solution only maintains the status quo. Meanwhile, Israel is taking more land and killing more people. Palestinians need the killing to stop.' Keir Starmer has said the UK will recognise a Palestinian state if Israel does not end the war in Gaza by September. (Image: Toby Melville/PA Wire) Last month, Palestine Action was proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 after causing £7m of damage to two jet planes at RAF Brize Norton. This means that expressing support for or being a member of the group is a criminal offence, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. During the TRSNMT festival last month, a 55-year-old man was charged under anti-terror legislation for allegedly wearing a t-shirt bearing the message "Genocide in Palestine Time to Take Action,' which had been produced by the SPSC. According to reports, the words 'Palestine' and 'Action' were in a larger font than the other text. SPSC spokesperson Mick Napier said: 'We put this T-shirt out because we wanted to use the furore around the ban to draw attention to the genocide. The T-shirt is not about Palestine Action, it's about genocide.' 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'It is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 to be a member of a proscribed organisation or to invite or express support for them. 'This includes wearing clothing or carrying any item in public in such a way as to arouse suspicion that they are a member of, or a supporter of a proscribed organisation. 'We are working closely with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Where police consider there is a sufficiency of evidence, they submit reports to the Procurator Fiscal. 'The fiscal will then consider whether there is enough evidence in law and decides what action, if any, to take in the public interest.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
A year after a bloody uprising, Bangladesh is far from political stability
Abdur Rahman Tarif was talking to his sister Meherunnesa over the phone when the voice on the other end of the call suddenly fell silent. In that moment, Tarif knew something bad had happened. He rushed home, dodging the exchange of fire between security forces and protesters on the streets of Dhaka. When he finally arrived, he discovered his parents tending to his bleeding sister. A stray bullet had hit Meherunnesa's chest while she was standing beside the window of her room, Tarif said. She was taken to a hospital where doctors declared her dead. Meherunnesa, 23, was killed on Aug. 5 last year, the same day Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country in a massive student-led uprising, which ended her 15-year rule. For much of Bangladesh, Hasina's ouster was a moment of joy. Three days later, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over the country as head of an interim government, promising to restore order and hold a new election after necessary reforms. A year on, Bangladesh is still reeling from that violence, and Hasina now faces trial for crimes against humanity, in absentia as she is in exile in India. But despite the bloodshed and lives lost, many say the prospect for a better Bangladesh with a liberal democracy, political tolerance and religious and communal harmony has remained a challenge. 'The hope of the thousands who braved lethal violence a year ago when they opposed Sheikh Hasina's abusive rule to build a rights-respecting democracy remains unfulfilled,' said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, a New York-based human rights group. Stalled change Bangladesh's anti-government movement exacted a heavy price. Hundreds of people, mostly students, were killed in violent protests. Angry demonstrators torched police stations and government buildings. Political opponents often clashed with each other, sometimes leading to gruesome killings. Like many Bangladeshis, Tarif and his sister took part in the uprising, hoping for a broader political change, particularly after when one of their cousins was shot and killed by security forces. "We could not stay home and wanted Sheikh Hasina to go,' 20-year-old Tarif said. 'Ultimately we wanted a country without any discrimination and injustice.' Today, his hopes lie shattered. 'We wanted a change, but I am frustrated now,' he said. After taking the reins, the Yunus-led administration formed 11 reform commissions, including a national consensus commission that is working with major political parties for future governments and the electoral process. Bickering political parties have failed to reach a consensus on a timetable and process for elections. Mob violence, political attacks on rival parties and groups, and hostility to women's rights and vulnerable minority groups by religious hardliners have all surged. Some of the fear and repression that marked Hasina's rule, and abuses such as widespread enforced disappearances, appear to have ended, rights groups say. However, they accuse the new government of using arbitrary detention to target perceived political opponents, especially Hasina's supporters, many of whom have been forced to go into hiding. Hasina's Awami League party, which remains banned, says more than two dozen of its supporters have died in custody over the last one year. Human Rights Watch in a statement on July 30 said the interim government 'is falling short in implementing its challenging human rights agenda.' It said violations against ethnic and other minority groups in some parts of Bangladesh have continued. 'The interim government appears stuck, juggling an unreformed security sector, sometimes violent religious hardliners, and political groups that seem more focused on extracting vengeance on Hasina's supporters than protecting Bangladeshis' rights,' said Ganguly. Yunus' office routinely rejects these allegations. Growing political uncertainty Bangladesh also faces political uncertainty over a return to democratically held elections. Yunus has been at loggerheads with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, now the main contender for power. The party headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has demanded elections either in December or February next year. Yunus has said they could be held in April. The interim government has also cleared the way for the Islamists, who were under severe pressure during Hasina's regime, to rise, while the student leaders who spearheaded the uprising have formed a new political party. The students' party demands that the constitution be rewritten, if needed entirely, and says it won't allow the election without major reforms. Meanwhile, many hardline Islamists have either fled prison or have been released, and the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest Islamist party, which has a controversial past, is now aspiring to a role in government. It often bitterly criticizes the BNP, equating it with Hasina's Awami League, and recently held a massive rally in Dhaka as a show of power. Critics fear that greater influence of the Islamist forces could fragment Bangladesh's political landscape further. 'Any rise of Islamists demonstrates a future Bangladesh where radicalization could get a shape where so-called disciplined Islamist forces could work as a catalyst against liberal and moderate forces,' political analyst Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah said. Worries also remain over whether the government is ultimately capable of enacting reforms. 'People's expectation was (that) Yunus government will be focused and solely geared towards reforming the electoral process. But now it's a missed opportunity for them,' Kalimullah said. A frustrated population For some, not much has changed in the last year. Meherunnesa's father, Mosharraf Hossain, said the uprising was not for a mere change in government, but symbolized deeper frustrations. 'We want a new Bangladesh … It's been 54 years since independence, yet freedom was not achieved,' he said. Tarif echoed his father's remarks, adding that he was not happy with the current state of the country. 'I want to see the new Bangladesh as a place where I feel secure, where the law enforcement agencies will perform their duties properly, and no government will resort to enforced disappearances or killings like before. I want to have the right to speak freely,' he said. —— AP's video journalist Al emrun Garjon contributed to the story.
