JERUSALEM (AP) -- A young Palestinian man had his skull smashed after an Israeli soldier shot a tear gas canister at his head during a demonstration where he was hurling rocks on Monday, said an eyewitness and a medical official.
The 19-year-old man, Mohammed Abu-Awad, was one of some two dozen young men who were throwing rocks at soldiers stationed at an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank university town of Bir Zeit, said his cousin Mahmoud. They had just ended an annual commemoration of the deaths of their relatives in a vehicle accident with Israeli troops, the cousin said.
He said soldiers fired two tear gas canisters at them. One hit Abu-Awad in the head.
Abu-Awad's tear gas injury comes in a string of similar incidents over the years, raising concerns about the way Israeli forces use the exploding canisters.
"His head was all bloodied," said his cousin. Hospital director Dr. Ahmed Betawi said Abu-Awad was in critical condition.
Israel's military says it uses the weapons to disperse rioters. A spokesman could not confirm what was used in this incident and said they were looking into the matter.
A senior Israeli military official who spoke last week to The Associated Press said they advise soldiers to not shoot directly at demonstrators, but said Palestinians in clashes needed to understand they face the risk of injury.
Rights activists, Palestinians, their supporters and reporters who cover demonstrations say Israeli forces often fire the exploding canisters of acrid smoke directly at demonstrators as weapons - instead of to disperse protesters.
"Anybody who has seen protests or clashes in the West Bank between the army, border police and Palestinian stone throwers knows this is a common, daily occurrence," said Sarit Michaeli of Israeli rights group B'Tselem.
Other Palestinians and their supporters have been killed by Israeli forces firing tear gas canisters.
Most recently, 28-year-old, Mustafa Tamimi from the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh was killed in December after he was shot in the face with a tear gas canister while hurling rocks at an armored vehicle jeep.
The senior Israeli military official said the soldier's vision was limited by a gas mask and that Tamimi had run into the line of fire. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the subject.
Rights activists questioned why the soldier, who was leaving the demonstration when he opened the vehicle door and launched the tear gas canister, fired his weapon while protected by an armored vehicle.
Others who have been struck by tear gas canisters include Palestinian Bassem Abu Rahmeh, who was killed in 2009 when one hit his chest. Emily Henochowicz, 21, of Maryland, lost her eye in 2010 after she was hit in the face by a tear gas canister during a demonstration.
Tristan Anderson of Oakland, California, was hit in the head by a tear gas canister in 2009 at a demonstration, causing brain damage, paralysis and seizures.
Israeli forces and Palestinians have clashed violently in recent weeks in and around the Jerusalem area. Palestinian youths have hurled mostly rocks, but also firecrackers and fire bombs at Israeli soldiers and paramilitary police, who have responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and on some occasions, live fire. In one clash on Feb. 24., soldiers shot and killed a 23-year-old Palestinian Talat Ramia.
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