Nabi Saleh is a small Palestinian village located about 20 km northwest of Ramallah, with population of just over 530. The village is located on hilltop, amidst agricultural lands and olive groves. ‘Ayn Al-Qaws, a natural spring owned by Bashir Tamimi, a resident, was taken over by settlers of nearby Halamish in 2009. The settlement itself is built on lands confiscated from village’s residents.
Since 2010, the Ramallah-district village of Nabi Saleh has been staging weekly demonstrations, in which locals alongside Israeli and international solidarity activists have been taking part. The village is protesting the ongoing expropriation of agricultural lands for the purpose of expanding the nearby settlement of Halamish. This wave of weekly protests was launched after the settlers took over a water spring that belongs to the village, renamed it and have been using it as a recreational site. These protests have been met with excessive violence, as the Israeli army has been using tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, the “skunk,” stun grenades and even live ammunition in its attempts to disperse the demonstrators and squash dissent. Two of the village’s residents, Mustafa and Rushdi Tamimi, were killed within a year of each other. Mustafa was killed from a tear gas canister fired directly at his head while Rushdi was shot multiple times with live ammunition and rubber bullets. The Israeli army has regularly imposed a closed military zone order for the route demonstrators have taken, in an attempt to deter outside activists from participating and isolate residents from global outpour of support. Many international and Israeli activists have been detained over the years.
Residents of Nabi Saleh and solidarity activists staged the weekly march towards the al-Qaws spring, which was expropriated by the settlers from nearby Halamish in 2009. This weekly demonstrations began after the settlers took over the spring and adjoining lands owned by Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam, renamed the site “Maayan Meir” and with the…
This Friday, Palestinians called for hoisting the national flag, as a symbol of steadfastness and resistance to the ongoing Israeli occupation. In addition, Palestinians expressed their rage over the killing of the Dawabsheh family of Duma – Sa’d, baby Ali and Riham, who passed away earlier this week – and call on the Israeli authorities…
In the wake of events of the previous Friday and global media attention, more Palestinians joined villagers of Nabi Saleh in a show of defiance against the occupation. Settlers also gathered across the hill, in the entrance to Halamish, in support of the Israeli army’s suppression of the Palestinian march. The IDF attempted to disperse…
Palestinians marched on Friday towards their confiscated lands, chanting against the ongoing Israeli occupation. The IDF responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. A group of soldiers also ambushed the protesters, and while other soldiers diverted the attention of the villagers, this group began to chase after protesters in an attempt to arrest them. One…
With the news of the release of Muhammad ‘Alan from administrative detention, Palestinian residents of Nabi Saleh, accompanied by solidarity activists, marched demanding the release of all political prisoners. ‘Alan was on hunger strike for over two months, until the Israeli Supreme Court decided to temporarily lift his administrative detention order until his medical condition…
Residents of the Ramallah-district village of Nabi Saleh, marched on Friday in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners, and in particular Muhammad ‘Alan. ‘Alan, a Nablus-area attorney, has been under administrative detention order since last fall. He began a hunger strike demanding his release two months ago, and is currently hospitalized at an Israeli hospital, as…
Following the Friday midday prayers, residents of Nabi Saleh marched to express their rage over the killing of Ali Dawabsheh. Ali, a toddle of a year and a half, burnt to death when Jewish settlers set fire to his family’s home in the dead of night. Ali’s parents and brother suffered massive burns and are…
Villagers and solidarity activists marched against the occupation in Nabi Saleh, heading for the hilly edge of the village overlooking the settlement of Halamish. The IDF, however, was already waiting for demonstrators with at least two snipers who immediately fired live ammunition. Without using any other crowd control measures, such as stun grenades, the snipers…
On the last Friday of Ramadan, residents of Nabi Saleh confronted the Israeli army, demanding an end to land expropriations and the release of political prisoners. The IDF attempted to disperse protesters using tear gas, rubber bullets and many rounds of live ammunition. No injuries reported. If you like my work, please also ‘like’ my…
The third Friday of Ramadan was dedicated to the commemoration of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, a Jerusalem teenager brutally murdered by Israeli settlers a year ago. Residents of Nabi Saleh marched commemorating Abu Khdeir as well as Muhammad Kasba, a 17 years old Palestinian murdered by a high ranking Israeli officer that same morning (3.7.2015). The…
