Village Youth Flee Tear Gas in Nabi Saleh. Picture Credit: Joseph Dana

The Israeli army continued its campaign of harsh repression of the unarmed popular struggle in the village of Nabi Saleh on Friday. The army used live ammunition as it invaded the village to suppress an unarmed demonstration protesting continued Israeli settlement expansion and the denial of access to the village’s agricultural lands. The army's incursion successfully escalated the situation, with quickly developed into clashes with armed soldiers shooting tear-gas as well as live and rubber-coated bullets faced by youth hurling stones to stop the invasion.

Approximately one hundred Palestinian, international and Israeli demonstrators gathered at noon. The army quickly forced the protest back to the village center from the agricultural fields using tear gas and live ammunition. Once in the village center, the army took over the main entrance to the village and gas station in order to fire tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators. The indiscriminate use of tear gas and rubber bullets resulted in six injured Palestinians, three of whom required medical attention in local hospitals. Local residents and supporters also suffered from tear gas inhalation as the entire village was engulfed in clouds of tear gas for most of the afternoon.

Soldiers Fire Tear Gas in Nabi Saleh. Picture Credit: Joseph Dana

In the late afternoon, the Army retreated to the main road next to the village as clashes between Palestinian youth and soldiers continued. The Army continued to sporadically invade parts of the villages and fire tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinian youth. The army kept its presence in the village until the evening, continuously driving in and out of the village's built-up area, and literally taking over the streets for prolonged periods every time.