/ 25 February 2008

Palestinian protesters form human chain in Gaza

Palestinians protesting against an Israeli-led blockade formed a human chain on Monday along roads in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and Israel threatened to use force if they tried to surge into its territory.

Hundreds of women and children, many holding Palestinian and Hamas flags, turned out for the start of what organisers said they hoped would be a peaceful protest involving about 50 000 people and would draw international attention.

Gaza’s isolation intensified when Islamist Hamas took control of the area in June after street fighting in which it routed Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has embarked on peace talks with Israel.

Last month, Israel tightened the blockade on the territory, home to 1,5-million Palestinians, limiting supplies of fuel and other goods in what it called a response to cross-border rocket fire by militants.

”We call on the liberals of the world to rescue Gaza from darkness,” one protest banner read.

Israeli troops garrisoned along the closely monitored, fenced frontier with the Gaza Strip were on high alert and paramilitary riot police on standby. Israeli officials urged Hamas to keep the rally in check.

”I hope that, ultimately, they understand that we are deployed and ready, that this will not be a repeat of what happened in the Philadelphi Corridor [Egypt border] a few weeks back,” Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai told Israel Radio.

Hamas blew open Gaza’s border wall with Egypt last month, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to cross into Egypt and stock up with food and other goods.

Israel voiced fears the flood of people included Islamist militants intent on carrying out attacks in the Jewish state, and Egyptian security forces rounded up hundreds of suspects.

”We don’t plan to fool around in this regard,” Vilnai said. ”We will use measures in the way we deem necessary to prevent people breaking into the state of Israel’s territory.”

Asked if Israeli forces might resort to live fire, Vilnai said: ”Anything that must be done, will be done.”

No breakthrough

Hamas and an allied group organising the rally said the crowd would not try to storm the Israeli border.

”But they will show the world that the siege must be broken,” said Jamal al-Khudary, chairperson of the Popular Anti-Siege Committee.

He said protesters were under instructions to stay 1km from the border and would be monitored by police.

Two rockets were launched at Israel from the northern Gaza Strip as protesters gathered in the border town of Beit Hanoun. The Israeli army, which along with Jewish settlers pulled out of the Gaza Strip in 2005, said there was no damage.

Militants say they carry out such attacks in response to Israeli raids and would stop if Israel lifted the Gaza blockade. Israeli media reported that military reinforcements on the Gaza border included artillery cannon armed with smoke shells that could be fired to disperse crowds. Hamas is shunned by Israel and the West for refusing to give up its stated goal of seeing the Jewish state eliminated. It has, however, offered Israel a conditional, long-term ceasefire. — Reuters