IWPS arrived in An Nabi Saleh at 11:00, one hour before the demonstration was scheduled to start. At 11:30, two Israeli military jeeps were stationed at the main road and a group of four soldiers were observed walking on foot through the village.
Over 100 people gathered at An-Nabi Saleh for their weekly demonstration against the Israeli occupation. The community of An-Nabi Saleh was present with people from all ages alongside national, international activists and media. At 12:00 midday, following the afternoon prayer, there was a short speech that commenced the march through the town centre down the main road.
At the main road three Israeli military jeeps were stationed along with a large white “skunk-truck” equipped with a long range hose and a bulldozer apparatus in front.
Chanting and singing, the crowd walked 300 meters past the gas station before pausing to set up defensive barricades with rocks. Two rock lines were set up before the army jeep and the skunk truck came forward removing the barricades, shooting several cans of tear gas and spraying the crowd with a sickeningly foul-smelling liquid.
The crowd quickly dispersed, while the military vehicles continued to drive the length of the village, drenching each house and the street with the foul-smelling liquid and tear gas as a form of collective punishment – which is prohibited under international law.
Furthermore, such attacks on private homes are dangerous to the families inside. Numerous people were soaked; many reported feeling ill from the overwhelming smell. By 14:00 the jeeps and skunk-truck had parked at the surveillance-tower crossroads. The demonstration had dispersed into small groups of 4-10 people being met by similar numbers of Israeli soldiers on foot, regularly shooting tear gas.
Source: IWPS HRR No. 464