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Gaza Protesters Form Human Chain
BBC News
Monday 25 February 2008
Thousands of Palestinians have formed a "human chain" in Gaza in
protest
at Israel's blockade of the territory.
Organisers had hoped up to 50,000 people would make a 40km (25-mile)
chain from Rafah to Beit Hanoun, but turnout was below expectation.
Earlier, Israel's military strengthened its positions along the border
and warned it would hold Hamas responsible if the demonstration became
violent.
Israel tightened the blockade when Hamas seized control of Gaza in June.
"Israel will not intervene in demonstrations inside the Gaza Strip but
it will ensure the defence of its territory and prevent any violation of
its sovereign borders," said a joint statement released by Israeli
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defence Minister Ehud Barak.
"Israel will work to avoid a deterioration of the situation but declares
unequivocally that Hamas must assume full responsibility if that
happens," said the statement.
Last month, the barrier separating Gaza from Egypt was demolished by
militants, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to cross the border
and obtain much-needed supplies.
Stones Thrown
Thousands of women and children from all around the Gaza Strip travelled
to the main north-south road for Monday's peaceful demonstration.
Schools were closed for the day, and thousands of pupils were taken in
buses to participate. Many could be seen with banners stating: "The
siege of Gaza will only strengthen us" and "The world has condemned
Gaza
to death."
The protest's organisers, the pro-Hamas Popular Anti-Siege Committee,
had planned to place a person every metre along the 40km-long road from
the Rafah crossing on the southern border to the Erez crossing near the
northern town of Beit Hanoun, but reports say only around 5,000 took part.
Jamal Khudari, the head of the committee, had promised the demonstration
would not risk a violent response from Israeli or Egyptian forces by
going too close to either of the country's borders.
As it began to break up in the early afternoon, some 50 schoolchildren
reportedly ran towards the Erez crossing and started throwing stones.
Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint are said to have fired into the air
to scare the children away and no casualties have been reported.
Earlier, an Israeli military spokesman, Col Zeev Sharoni, insisted the
army would "do everything necessary to prevent people from crossing into
Israeli territory."
BBC Arab affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi says the Palestinians in Gaza
appear to have realised that mass action is their best chance of getting
the attention of the world and generating more pressure on Israel to
ease the blockade.
With Israel refusing, and Hamas and Fatah locked in a power struggle,
they want to send a clear message to the outside world that ordinary
civilians are paying the price, he says.
Rocket Attacks
On Sunday, two Hamas fighters were killed in Israeli airstrikes near the
border in Khan Younis, while another died in northern Gaza, the group
said. Israeli forces also detained 40 Palestinians and said they had
discovered five smuggling tunnels along the territory's frontier.
Israeli authorities fear a repetition of scenes from last month, when
the fence separating Gaza from Egypt was demolished by Palestinian
militants in several places near the Rafah crossing point.
Hamas officials have since raised the possibility of similar breaches
along the border with Israel.
Israel's blockade of Gaza was imposed after Hamas routed Fatah forces
loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas last June and seized control of the
Gaza Strip.
Israel said the siege, which has prevented the flow of everything but
essential humanitarian supplies, was in response to cross-border rocket
attacks by militants in Gaza.
But Palestinians and several international agencies have said the
sanctions amount to collective punishment of Gaza's 1.5 million civilians.
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