Tue Jul 29 17:55:53 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
A Palestinian activist, Awdah Muhammad Hathaleen, was killed in the West Bank on Monday. Palestinian authorities accuse Israeli settlers of the murder, while Israeli police are investigating the incident near the settlement of Carmel. France has strongly condemned the killing, labeling Israeli settler violence as terrorism and urging Israel to sanction the perpetrators and protect Palestinian civilians. Hathaleen was involved in the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” which documented the struggles of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta against Israeli forces. This incident is part of a larger pattern of violence in the West Bank, where millions of Palestinians live alongside Israeli settlers.
**News Article:**
**France Condemns “Terrorism” After Palestinian Activist’s Death in West Bank**
**Paris – July 29, 2025:** Tensions in the West Bank have escalated following the death of Palestinian activist Awdah Muhammad Hathaleen, with France issuing a strong condemnation of Israeli settler violence. Palestinian authorities allege that Hathaleen, a teacher who contributed to the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was killed by Israeli settlers near the village of Umm al-Khair. Israeli police have confirmed an investigation into an incident near the Carmel settlement, arresting one Israeli for questioning, but have not directly addressed the accusations of settler involvement.
“France condemns this murder with the utmost firmness as well as all deliberate acts of violence committed by extremist settlers against the Palestinian population, which are multiplying across the West Bank,” a French Foreign Ministry spokesman stated on Tuesday. “These acts of violence are acts of terrorism.” The spokesman urged Israeli authorities to take immediate action to sanction the perpetrators and ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians.
Hathaleen was a resident of Masafer Yatta, a region facing displacement pressures from Israeli forces, a struggle documented in “No Other Land,” which won Best Documentary at the Oscars in March. Yuval Abraham, the film’s Israeli co-director, shared a video purportedly showing an armed individual arguing with a group of people shortly before the activist death.
The West Bank is home to approximately three million Palestinians and nearly half a million Israeli settlers. The presence of these settlements continues to be a source of significant conflict, as settlements are considered illegal under international law. Violence in the region has seen a marked increase in recent years.
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