Body of Palestinian activist allegedly shot by settler said returned to family for burial

The Israeli military has returned the body of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen from the village of Umm al-Kheir in the southern West Bank to his family for burial, according to an activist group and locals.

A funeral is set to take place at 10 a.m. at the village school, according to Israeli NGO Human Rights Defenders Fund, which says the burial is going ahead after “the parties… reached an agreement.”

Hathaleen, who was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was killed on July 28 as Palestinians confronted armed Israeli settlers allegedly carrying out earthworks on land claimed by the village.

One settler was arrested on suspicion of reckless manslaughter, but was released earlier this week.

A video shows a convoy of cars entering the village, apparently bringing the body for burial.

لحظة وصول الجثمان للقرية.. نساء قرية أم الخير بمسافر يطا جنوب الخليل يتمكن بإضرابهن عن الطعام تحرير جثمان الشهيد عودة الهذالين الذي قتله مستوطن بالرصاص قبل أيام. pic.twitter.com/oEdHg0hGeT

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) August 7, 2025

Women from the village had staged a hunger strike over the last several days demanding the return of Hathaleen’s body.

According to Hathaleen’s family, the army conditioned the return of the body on holding a limited funeral away from the village.

In a statement, Human Rights Defenders Fund says the army may try to limit attendance and asks foreign diplomats to attend in order to keep Israel to its unspecified commitments.

An area resident tells The Times of Israel he tried to enter Umm al-Kheir this morning in order to attend the funeral, but was blocked by the Israeli army because he is not a resident of the village.

The army had earlier declared the area a closed military zone and cleared out a mourning tent for Hathaleen, video last month showed.

The IDF has not yet commented on the return of Hathaleen’s body.