Otherwise, the carnage could be horrendous, and may be so even if the planned Hamas-led protest is completely peaceful.
10 hours ago
JERUSALEM (AFP) — The Israeli army is preparing for a possible rush on the border fence around the Gaza Strip aimed at breaking a months-long economic blockade, local media reported on Sunday.
(Or, in more accurate terms, aimed at bringing an end to Israel's illegal Collective Punishment of Gaza.)
According to a report on army radio the Islamist Hamas movement which has ruled the Gaza Strip since June may stage a mass march on the border to protest the near-complete Israeli closure of the impoverished territory.
(The Collective Punishment of the Strip. Hamas has ruled since being elected. They only consolidated this power after defeating the corrupt elements of Fatah the US and Israel used in a failed Coup attempt at this time, after their economic sanctions failed to unseat this elected party.)
Israel's Haaretz newspaper also reported on Saturday that Israeli forces have increased their presence along the border, adding that Israel fears there could be several casualties if the troops try to halt such a march.
(Hopefully the international eyes closely watching will keep the IDF from overreacting.)
An Israeli army spokesman declined to comment on the reports.
The Popular Committee Against the Siege (PCAS), a politically independent group headed by Palestinian parliamentarian Jamal al-Khudari, has called for a mass demonstration on Monday against Israel's closure regime.
(This is great. I actually spoke to several people concerned with such an idea, but didn't know it was being planned.)
The group has announced it will attempt to construct a human chain from the closed Rafah crossing on the southern Gaza border with Egypt to the Beit Hanun crossing in northern Gaza along the territory's main highway.
(This is Non-Violent Resistance, something the Palestinians need much more of, as it has proven effective at shaming Oppressors, and highlighting injustices, throughout history.)
Hamas has said it favours the demonstration but did not organise it.
On January 23, Palestinian militants blasted several holes in the border barrier between Gaza and Egypt, sending a tide of hundreds of thousands of people streaming into the Sinai on a mission to replenish depleted stocks.
Hamas gunmen and Egyptian troops resealed the border on February 3.
Israel has sealed the increasingly impoverished territory off from all but vital humanitarian supplies since Hamas took power there in June in a bid to halt rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel.
(Actually, it imposed Collective Punishment on Gaza - which is a War Crime - in order to "suffocate Hamas". They only increased these measures after their Coup attempt in Gaza failed to unseat Hamas. Israel's own defence staff warned that these measures would provoke rocket attacks. Seeing as Israel is now using these to justify the measures which caused the crisis - with the help of the media - this appears to be exactly what it wanted.)
But Palestinians and several international agencies have said the sanctions amount to collective punishment of the Strip's 1.5 million residents.
(And indeed, there is no ambiguity to International Law. The silence of world leaders on this issue is better known as "Appeasement", and is a shameful chapter in this story.)
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'IDF should wipe out parts of Gaza'
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Warnings Pour in For Israel to Cease Collective Punishment
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As Predicted: Gaza Reoccupation Planned
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As Predicted: Israel Attacks Gaza
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Probe: At Least Half of Palestinians Killed by IDF Were Civilians
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Israeli Attacks on Palestinians, Killings, Doubled Since Annapolis
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UN Condemns Collective Punishment of Gaza
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Israel Destroys Gaza Interior Ministry, Blocks UN Aid
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UN Condemns 'Cowardly Israeli War Crime'
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It's All Right, I'm Only Bleeding
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An Experiment in Famine: Hamas is Not the Real Issue
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Jewish Groups Condemn Collective Punishment of Gaza
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Israel Considers 'U.S-like' Invasion of Gaza
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