Ni'ilin: the West Bank focus of unarmed demonstrations and civil disobedience

Mariam Moussa appeared almost catatonic in her grief yesterday, seated immobilised on a sofa, her eyes fixed on the "martyr" poster she was clutching of her ten year old son, killed by an Israeli bullet the previous evening. "Since she heard the news she didn't say anything and she didn't eat or drink anything" said Isma Amireh, 36, a family friend.

Outside, young men joining the procession, some with green Hamas and yellow Fatah flags, marching past the family's white two storey house to the adjacent cemetery chanted: "Mother of the martyr, ululate, all the young here are your children" In the centre of this village in the hills west of Ramallah, freshly painted red graffiti on the wall proclaimed "The death of the martyr Ahmed Moussa will increase our struggle against occupation."

Mohammed Kanan, 28, a member of the committee organizing the protests said that the shooting of the ten year old was a "revenge" on Ni'ilin because a local woman, Mr Kanan's 17 year old sister, had three weeks ago taken video footage-widely shown on Israeli TV-of a soldier shooting a blindfolded and handcuffed 27 year old protestor Ashraf Abu-Rahma at close range in the foot. The battalion commander at Ni'ilin Lieutenant Colonel Omri Bruberg, whom the soldier accused of ordering him to carry out the shooting, has been suspended for ten days pending an investigation. Mr Kanan's father was arrested the day after the video aired and is still in detention.

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