RAMALLAH, December 10, 2011 (WAFA) –A Palestinian protester who was seriously injured in Nabi Saleh protest on Friday, died Saturday morning, according to local sources.
They told WAFA that Mustafa Tamimi, 27, who was participating in the peaceful weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh, north of Ramallah, was shot in the face at close range by a tear gas canister fired by an Israeli soldier.
Tamimi was transferred to Belinson hospital in Israel after he was critically injured, but doctors were not able to save his life.
A family member confirmed to WAFA death of Tamimi, but did not say when the family would get the body back from the Israeli hospital for burial.
A source said Tamimi’s funeral will be held on Sunday.
A statement by Stop the Wall Campaign said residents of Nabi Saleh were marking the second anniversary of the start the popular resistance when Tamimi was shot in the face. This occurred while the UN Special Rapporteur for the Freedom of Assembly was visiting the village.
It said Tamimi’s face was split from the impact of the gas bomb, losing a large amount of blood before being transferred by car to hospital in Ramallah, 30 kilometers away. The ambulance was stopped at the Nabi Saleh checkpoint by the occupation forces for 30 minutes. Subsequently he was flown for treatment at an Israeli hospital near Tel Aviv.
Tamimi was not the only one hit in the demonstration, said the statement. The Israeli army crackdown led to the injury of six other people. A cameraman from Palestine TV, Najib Fraona, and Ahmed Abdullah Khreish were both hit by rubber bullets. Wa'de Tamimi was hit by a tear gas canister that fractured his foot and a girl, Nissan Tamimi, was shot with a tear gas bomb that broke her hand. Fadel Tamimi was wounded by a rubber bullet in his ear and another one in his foot. Muhammad Abu Samra was wounded by a rubber bullet in his ear. Additionally, dozens of people suffered from tear gas suffocation.
In response, the people of the village of Nabi Saleh attacked the Israeli military tower at the entrance to the village of Nabi Saleh and broke the main gate that closes the entrance to the village, venting their anger at the injury of Tamimi and others, said the statement.
Nabi Saleh, which has a population of approximately 500 people, is located 30 kilometers northeast of Ramallah. The Israeli settlement of Halamish (also known as Neveh Tzuf) was established on lands belonging to the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir Nidham in 1976.
In the summer of 2008, Halamish settlers seized control of a number springs, all of which were located on private Palestinian land belonging to residents of Nabi Saleh. In December 2009, the village began weekly demonstrations in opposition to the annexing of the fresh water springs and village land.
Since Nabi Saleh began its demonstrations, the Israeli military has brutally sought to repress the protests, arresting more than 13% of the village residents, including children. In total, some 90 village residents have been arrested. All but three were tried for participating in the demonstrations. Of those imprisoned, 29 were minors under the age of 18 years and four were women.
M.H./M.S.
