Jerusalem ( CNN ) -- A Palestinian man shot in the face with a tear gas canister during a West Bank demonstration died Saturday morning , according to protest organizers . Mustafa Tamimi , 28 , was among dozens of protesters who gathered in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh on Friday for a weekly protest against the encroachment of a nearby Israeli settlement . The protest turned violent when minor clashes erupted between Israeli military personnel and the protesters . During the fighting , an Israeli soldier shot him from a close range with a tear gas projectile in the face , according to protest organizer Jonathan Pollak . Tamimi was critically wounded and brought to an Israeli hospital for emergency treatment . A photo of the incident appears to show a projectile fired in his direction from the back of an Israeli military vehicle . Pollak , who serves as the spokesman for the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee that organizes the weekly protest , accused the Israeli military of acting `` in complete disregard '' of its own open fire regulations . In a statement to the media , Pollak , claimed that `` soldiers often shoot tear-gas projectiles directly at groups of protesters or individuals . '' The Israeli military said Saturday it was investigating the incident and referred reporters to its statement Friday . In the statement , the military described the gathering in Nabih Saleh as a `` violent and illegal riot '' where protesters hurled rocks at Israeli security personnel who in turn responded with `` riot dispersal means . ''
Mustafa Tamimi was among dozens of protesters who gathered in West Bank . Hide Caption 119 of 123 Photos:Photos: Demonstrations in Turkey Demonstrations in Turkey – The protest turned violent when clashes erupted between Israeli forces and the protesters .