Settler Yehiel Indore, alleged shooter of 19-year-old Palestinian Qusai Mu'tan, to be sent to house arrest

On Tuesday, 15 August, an Israeli court ordered the release of Yehiel Indore, the main suspect in killing 19-year-old Qusai Mu'tan from the village of Burqa in the occupied West Bank. 

Mu'tan was fatally shot on 4 August during the settlers' assault on private village land. 

According to Palestinian sources and the Israeli military, the incident happened on private Palestinian land.

Following the killing, the Israeli police arrested both Yehiel Indore and Elisha Yared. 

Yered, a former spokesperson for the far-right Otzma Yehudit Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech, was released to house arrest last week. 

In a surprise move, the Israeli police removed the charge that Yehiel Indore acted out of racist motivations when he allegedly fired the fatal shot that killed Mu'tan on 4 August. 

During the investigation, Indore maintained that he acted in self-defence, claiming he fired his weapon only after being hit in the head with a rock. Palestinians contended that he had fired before being hit.

Also on Tuesday, the Israeli arrested two Palestinians from Burqa in connection to the 4 August confrontation between the settlers and the residents of the Palestinian village. 

The UN has recorded 591 settler-related incidents resulting in Palestinian casualties, property damage or both in the first six months of 2023.