Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Israel opens fire on a peaceful demonstration

Tuesday, 06 April 2010 13:14 Added by PT Editor Omar Ghraieb 
 
Gaza, April 6, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli soldiers opened fire on a peaceful march, organized by the Popular Campaign against the security zone, in Atatra in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip; they marched to condemn the imposition of Israel's security buffer zone along the border with the Gaza Strip.
Mahmoud Zak, the coordinator of the campaign, said that hundreds of local youths and foreign demonstrators arrived to the wired border the separates between Gaza and the territory of 1948 and raised Palestinian flags, then they were shocked after seeing dozens of Israeli soldiers who got out of jeeps and started firing in all directions in a very dangerous and random way.
He indicated that Israeli Special Forces attacked the demonstrators in more than one direction after they reached wired wall and placed Palestinian flags on it.
"We are trying to withdraw from the region and now here we are at a distance of 100 meters,” he said. Noting that placing Palestinian flags on the wired wall is what provoked Israeli soldiers, stressing that, "the flag of Palestine flies on the wired wall to declare our right of freedom”.


Gaza protesters raise flags on no-go zone
 
Published yesterday (updated) 06/04/2010 20:02
 
Gaza – Ma'an – Gaza residents marched toward Israel's no-gozone on Tuesday, in protest of the confiscation of 20% of the Strip's farming lands inside the buffer.

Marchers proceeded from Al-Atatra, a Beit Lahiya neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip, toward the border area to plant flags on Palestinian lands.

Popular Resistance Campaign coordinator Mahmoud Az-Ziq said hundreds of local men and international solidarity activists marched toward the no-go zone, raising Palestinian flags at the barbed-wire fence sectioning off the area. Dozens of Israeli soldiers, he said, fired warning shots in "all directions."

"These rallies show how adamant we are to regain access to agricultural lands along the border area. Non-violent rallies will continue, no matter what danger we will face," Az-Ziq added.

Beit Hanoun Popular Initiative coordinator Sabir Za'nin said Israeli soldiers in black uniforms "surprised" protesters at the rally by opening fire, in spite of the presence of international activists.

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed that warning shots were fired in the air, approximately 250 meters from the barbed-wire fencing, where Palestinian movement is restricted.