Art & Culture

Palestinian Activist Who Worked on Oscar-Winning ‘No Other Land’ Murdered By Illegal Settler

BYYassine Hariss

July 30, 2025

Since No Other Land took home the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 97th Academy Awards, life has been far from easy for many of the cast and crew. A few months ago, co-director Hamdan Ballal was detained by Israeli Occupation Forces (I.O.F.) accused of allegedly throwing stones. Taken into custody and later released with severe injuries, the source of his bruises remained officially unexplained, though it was easy to speculate on them given the context of his arrest and the documented pattern of similar incidents involving Palestinians.

Sadly, the situation is only continuing to deteriorate. This week, another member of the Oscar-winning film’s cast became a victim of the system the documentary aimed to expose. According to the Palestinian Authority’s Education Ministry, Palestinian activist and teacher Awdah Hathaleen was pronounced dead in the occupied West Bank at the hand of “settlers … during their attack on the village of Umm al-Khair,” as stated in an official social media post.

The shooter, identified as Yinon Levi, was previously sanctioned by former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, though those sanctions were reportedly lifted after Donald Trump took office. Police have confirmed his arrest, along with the detention of four Palestinians “in connection with the incident,” and two foreign tourists “who were at the scene.”

This is the settler who killed our dear friend ‘Awdah Hathaleen.
At the end of the video, he fires the bullet that took the life of ‘Awdah
Today, the apartheid court decided to release him to house arrest.
Yinon Levi, a settler sanctioned by 9 countries (now 8, because of Trump) pic.twitter.com/pwFBFVmBkc

— Basel Adra (@basel_adra) July 29, 2025

No Other Land’s directors— journalists Yuval Abraham and Basel Adra– have taken to social media to share their grief and extend their condolences.

“I can hardly believe it. My dear friend Awdah was slaughtered this evening,” Adra wrote on X. “He was standing in front of the community center in his village when a settler fired a bullet that pierced his chest and took his life. This is how Israel erases us— one life at a time,” he added.

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens and violence continues across other occupied territories, we’re left asking: how much longer will these injustices be allowed to persist? In the absence of answers, we reaffirm our solidarity with all those who have endured them over the past seven decades.

Palestinian Activist Who Worked on Oscar-Winning ‘No Other Land’ Murdered By Illegal Settler

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Palestinian Activist Who Worked on Oscar-Winning ‘No Other Land’ Murdered By Illegal Settler

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