Israel's army has developed a pungent new weapon for driving back Palestinian protesters —the skunk bomb.
The stink bomb, containing a synthetic version of the odor skunks release to deter predators, has been developed for breaking up protests and stone-throwing confrontations without causing casualties, security officials said on Wednesday.
The foul-smelling weapon was invented as part of efforts to replace rubber bullets, which have killed scores of Palestinians during a nearly 4-year-old uprising.
The new device, which is not yet operational, releases a cloud so pungent that according to initial tests it permeates clothes for five years, the officials said.
Palestinians said such a weapon could be particularly unpleasant for devout Muslims since they cannot pray with clothes that smell and would have to throw them away.
Israel’s army has often been accused of using excessive force in fighting the Palestinian uprising and security officials said it was trying to work with foreign and local firms to develop non-lethal measures.
Another weapon which is close to being operational is a fiberglass tank shell that disintegrates in the air, causing an enormous explosion but no casualties.
At least eight Palestinians were killed in May when a tank fired a shell too close to a crowd in the Gaza Strip that the army was trying to disperse.