In a strong rebuke, France has officially labeled Israeli settler violence in the West Bank as “terrorism”, following the killing of Palestinian activist and teacher Odeh (Awdah) Hathaleen. Hathaleen was shot dead by an Israeli settler in the village of Umm al‑Khair near Hebron on July 28, prompting widespread international outrage
A foreign ministry spokesperson in Paris condemned the murder as “acts of terrorism,” warning that extremist settler violence is mounting across the occupied territory. The statement demanded that Israeli authorities “immediately sanction the perpetrators of these acts of violence, which continue with complete impunity, and protect Palestinian civilians”
The victim, Hathaleen, had contributed to the Oscar‑winning documentary No Other Land, which documented the residents of Masafer Yatta resisting home demolitions. His death has become emblematic of the dangers faced by activists and civilians amid rising settler attacks
Eyewitness footage released from the scene reportedly showed the settler, identified as Yinon Levi—subject to U.S., UK, and EU sanctions—firing indiscriminately at village residents during an escalating confrontation that included the use of a bulldozer to raze property
France’s latest condemnation follows an earlier stance from November 2023 when it referred to settler violence as a “policy of terror” aimed at displacing Palestinians
. In February 2024, Paris imposed sanctions on 28 extremist settlers, barring their entry into French territory as part of broader EU measures
French authorities assert that settler attacks not only violate international humanitarian law but also threaten the viability of the two‑state solution. On multiple occasions, France has pressed Israel to distinguish between sovereign Israeli territory and occupied settlements, urging compliance with UN resolutions and treaty obligations
As the crisis in Gaza unfolds and West Bank violence intensifies, France’s labeling of settler brutality as terrorism signals a notable escalation in diplomatic pressure on Israel to address settler impunity and protect Palestinian civilians. Wabstalk
