Unarmed demonstration met with military incursion in Nabi Saleh. The army liberally fired tear gas in the civilian parts of the village resulting in houses being set on fire. The repression of unarmed and largely non-violence ramps up with the latest military actions against the civilian population of Nabi Salih
House burnt by tear gas canisters attack; houses invaded and used as military outposts; soldiers shooting on sight whomever in their range; making arrests; collectively punishing a population by mass tear gas attacks; snipers shooting rubber bullets; and live ammunition shot towards protesters – another long Friday of harsh Israeli army repression was the share of Nabi Saleh residents, standing up for their freedom against the strangulating occupation and the Halamish settlement, built itself on the village’s lands.
The demonstration’s initial march was even shorter than usual as it met with an immediate unprovoked attack by Israeli border police, shooting tear gas canisters directly at the protesters, a conduct which persisted throughout the demonstration and which violates even the army’s own regulations.
This attack was soon followed by an army break-in and takeover of several houses within the village, using them and especially their roofs as military outposts. During the second Intifada, the Israeli army took over houses for months in a row, and now residents say the houses taken over during the demonstration are likely to be repeatedly taken over in the coming Fridays. The army soldiers took the liberty (with, in many cases, twisted pleasure) to shoot on sight whomever was in their range. Only in few cases stones were thrown back to ward off the army’s incursion. Snipers used rubber bullets and close to the end of the army’s incursion into the village, soldiers also shot live ammunition towards the protesters. Several protesters sustained non-serious injuries, mostly from tear gas canisters shot directly at them.
Within the army’s unprovoked and cruel attacks inside a populated area, two houses were hit by tear gas canisters. In one of the houses a fire erupted as a result. The fire consumed some of the family property (mostly mattresses and the internal walls paint). Protesters came to put out the fire, and later own Palestinian fire department tracks arrived.
In a separate incident two Palestinian protesters were arrested for no justified reason. On Thursday night, prior to the day of the demo, as is the case on many nights since the demos has started – the Israeli army has invaded the village and patrolled it. No arrests were made. Some 10 army jeeps were involved in this Friday’s army incursion into Nabi Saleh. The three village’s youth who were arrested during last Friday were released on Tuesday and Thursday to the joy of their families, friends and supporters.
