Hundreds of Palestinians attended the funeral of Mustafa Tamimi ,a Nabi Saleh resident who was killed on Friday during a violent anti-fence protest. At the end of the funeral, mourners clashed with IDF forces and hurled stones at them. The army responded with crowd dispersal means including tear gas.
Tamimi, 28, was killed after hurling stones at an IDF jeep during a demonstration in Nabi Saleh. He was hit directly in his face by a gas canister, was treated at the scene and taken to the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva in serious condition. Doctors were eventually forced to pronounce him dead.
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Various leftist activists took part in the protest. Yonatan Polak, who knew Tamimi said, "He was one of the regulars and made it to every protest even after he was released from jail. He and his brothers all did various stretches in Israeli prisons. All but one were released." Polak noted that authorities refused to release Tamimi's brother who is still in jail for the funeral.
- Army responds with tear gas (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)
Polak further claimed, "His death is perhaps one of the clearest cases of murder in cold blood where a soldier who felt entirely secure inside his military jeep opened the vehicle's door as he drove away, and shot Mustafa with the gas canister from short range."
Tamimi moments before his death (Photo: Haim Schwartzenberg)
- An eye witness also provided an account of the incident. "A army bulldozer came into the village to clear stones meant to block the entrance of jeeps into the village. When the jeeps emerged, two people pelted them with stones, one of whom was Mustafa. They stood behind the jeep, nothing was blocking it from leaving. The firing was unnecessary."
Clashes erupt after funeral (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)
Residents of Nabi Saleh have been holding demonstrations for the past two years in protest of settlers' takeover of a spring they claim is owned by the village head.
The Investigating Military Police launched a probe into the case. "The initial army inquest indicates that during the demonstration a rioter was seriously injured by a gas grenade which hit him," a military source told Ynet.
"Mustafa Tamimi was a regular activist in riots and was in the habit of hurling stones. He was released from custody a year ago for his participation in violent riots. A David's Sling which served him for hurting IDF forces was found on his body."