West Bank: Bedouin Women’s Hunger Strike Enters Sixth Day Demanding Return of Slain Activist’s Body
West Bank: Bedouin Women’s Hunger Strike Enters Sixth Day Demanding Return of Slain Activist’s Body
UMM AL-KHAIR, West Bank – A hunger strike by nearly two dozen Bedouin women in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has entered its sixth day, as they intensify demands for Israeli authorities to release the body of community leader Awdah Al Hathaleen, killed last week during a clash with a Jewish settler.
The women, ranging from 15 to 70 years old, are protesting what they describe as unreasonable conditions set by Israeli authorities for Al Hathaleen’s burial. These conditions reportedly include limiting funeral attendance and requiring a nighttime burial in a nearby city, which the villagers say violate their customs and rights.
Awdah Al Hathaleen, a political activist and English teacher who contributed to the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was allegedly shot and killed by settler Yinon Levi. Witnesses claim Levi fired the fatal shots, though an Israeli court quickly released him from house arrest, citing a lack of proof. This swift release has fueled outrage among the community.
The rare public protest by Bedouin women underscores deep-seated anger over Al Hathaleen’s death, coupled with a history of settler attacks and Israeli raids in Masafer Yatta. The hunger strikers are also demanding the release of at least one other man arrested by Israeli forces following the killing.
The ongoing strike highlights the community’s vulnerability and their desperate plea for justice and the right to a dignified burial for their loved one.
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