This week the army resumed nighttime raids in Nabi Saleh. During the weekly Friday demonstration, the village was attacked with excessive amounts of live ammunition and tear gas. A curfew was declared prohibiting residents from leaving their homes for a twenty four hour period. Despite the recognition of unarmed demonstrations as a legitimate form of protest by the European countries, Israel is pushing forward with its campaign of harsh military repression.
This past Friday the army was in streets of the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh long before sixty Palestinians along with Israeli and international supporters gathered for the weekly demonstration against the occupation. Early Friday morning, army jeeps were seen driving up and down the streets of the small village informing residents that a curfew would come into effect in the afternoon and anyone on the streets would be a target of arrests or worse. Earlier this week, the army raided Nabi Saleh twice in the middle of the night. This was part of a strategy of repression which has escalated to a fever pitch in recent days.
The village was sealed by the army at all entrances at 09h00. Once the demonstration began marching to the confiscated land of the village at 12h30, the army simply opened fire on the unarmed demonstrators. One activist who was present on the ground said that “from that moment forward there were always 50-60 soldiers in the village; patrolling and taking over houses.”
Throughout the afternoon, soldiers would raid a house, lock themselves inside and the family outside. Anyone that was walking on the street was shot at with live ammunition. Additionally, soldiers used an excessive amount of poisonous tear gas on the village. Repeatedly, soldiers fired the “ringo’ which shoots 64 tear gas projectiles in roughly 8 seconds. The ‘ringo effect’ leaves the entire village in a cloud of tear gas. This form of harsh collective punishment has not been used since the time of the building of the Separation Wall in Ni’ilin in 2008/2009
Three minor injuries were reported among protesters in Nabi Saleh on Friday. However, the army claimed that one soldier was hit by a stone while video evidence (embedded above) clearly shows that the soldier simply tripped on the ground while firing live ammunition at demonstrators. No foreign or domestic media were present for the demonstration, leading many protesters to believe that the army escalated its violent campaign of repression precisely because of the media vacuum.
Since December 2009, Nabi Saleh has been targeted for violent repression of its unarmed demonstration against the occupation by the Israeli army. Last weeks events, night raids and the excessive use of live ammunition to crush the demonstration, represents a new level of repression against the village. However, the villagers plan to continue with their demonstrations until their land is freed and the occupation is finished.
Starting at minute 6:14, an Israeli activist is seen talking with soldiers who have taken over a rooftop in the village. The activist is challenging them to think about what they are doing in Nabi Saleh and have moral reflection. The soldiers respond by throwing a tear gas canister at Israeli. Between this episode and the images of the entire village engulfed in tear gas or live bullets whizzing through the air, one gets the sense of what Israeli military repression means for the village of Nabi Saleh.
January 16, 2011
6:20 am
Just when I think I can’t be shocked anymore, this happens! Obviously unarmed civilians, in a small group, being shot at and gassed. My government should be so ashamed that they support this!!
January 16, 2011
11:51 am
I sometimes think, this is ordered bu IDF leaders to provoke a reaction from the West Bank Population. A reaction like shooting on some of their soldiers, so they have a reason for more atroceties. They can’t deal with peaceful demonstrations. They openly risk the lifes of their own soldiers – to claim to have reason for retaliation. a devilish game!
January 16, 2011
12:42 pm
You know those are rubber bullets joseph, the other israeli activist clearly said so in the video, so why do you lie?
January 17, 2011
9:15 am
No response? Hey 972, you understand that responsible journalists don’t just MAKE STUFF UP. Either provide a source for the ridiculous assertion that the IDF was firing live rounds and not rubber bullets or retract immediately to save your credibility.
January 17, 2011
9:34 am
You can check with the IDF spokesman unit who will confirm the use of live bullets. But then you will be left thinking why you pushed this ridiculous line so much. All the best, Joseph
January 17, 2011
11:50 am
Wrong again Joseph IDF claims they use rubber bullets, 4:35 in the video israeli activist clearly confirms he was hit by a RUBBER bullet, and the only ridiculous line is the one that claims that the IDF is popping off round after round of live bullets every week without one person being killed let alone wounded by any live rounds. Gee joseph I guess the IDF must have the worst aim in the entire world. So what I am left wondering is A) why you lied and B) when well +972 issue a retraction?
January 17, 2011
12:11 pm
The IDF used rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition on the ground in Nabi Saleh. This has been confirmed by Israeli and Palestinian sources who were present on the ground. You have not present any evidence expect one portion of a video which documented an eight hour demonstration in which an activist says that one round was rubber. I have seen personally the IDF use live fire in Nabi Saleh. You are creating hear say based on ZERO fact. I encourage you to contact the IDF directly if you would like to pursue the story but they will tell you that live (.22 Ruger ammunition) was used in Nabi Saleh.
January 17, 2011
12:11 pm
…………………….”Sami, 12, died of head wounds from IDF gunfire during a demonstration. Abdul, 9, was killed by IDF gunfire to his head during a funeral. Ala, 14, died of head wounds from IDF gunfire while on the terrace of his home one hour after injuring an Israeli soldier with a stone. Omar, 11, died of head wounds from IDF gunfire during a demonstration. Diya, 3 months, was killed, along with her older brother, by Israeli settler gunfire to her head and back. Bara, 10, was killed by IDF gunfire to his head while near his home. Ayman, 15, was killed by IDF tank fire to his head while farming. Khalil, 11, was killed by IDF tank fire to his head while playing with a friend. Rami, 13, was killed by IDF helicopter fire to his head while playing in front of his house. Yaser, 11, died of head wounds from an IDF rubber-coated bullet fired at close range during a demonstration.”
http://www.counterpunch.org/weir01142011.html
January 19, 2011
10:47 am
It must feel pretty constricting to live inside an apartheid zone suffocated by these armed hoodlums. But I would live there before I’d ever ally myself with the other side of the apartheid wall. It is a sick day when Apartheid israel is seen as legitimate.