30th Straight Bloody Friday in Gaza
by Stephen Lendman
Gazans show no signs of ending their liberating struggle against Israel’s illegal blockade and overall occupation harshness.
Since March 30, countless thousands put themselves in harm’s way, demonstrating peacefully, Netanyahu-ordered snipers attacking them with live fire, toxic tear gas, terror-bombing by warplanes and drones, along with other repressive tactics.
On Friday, another 275 Palestinians were wounded, including 49 children, three women, three journalists and four paramedics, at least 10 seriously.
Since March 30, at least 204 Gazans were killed, well over 22,000 others injured, thousands from live fire at peaceful unarmed demonstrations.
In a same day incident, an IDF attack drone fired a missile in central Gaza causing unclear damage, a separate missile in southern Gaza wounding at least three civilians.
According to Palestinian Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) fieldworkers, Israeli military and political authorities at the highest level ordered IDF terror tactics against Gazans each time peaceful demonstrations are held.
Organizers called for “maintaining the peaceful and popular nature of the protests,” demanding Gazans “take all measures to prevent…any opportunity for the Israeli snipers to take down the protestors.”
They posed no threat to Israeli soldiers or civilians as during all previous demonstrations. The Netanyahu regime claiming otherwise is a bald-faced lie.
Ahead of Friday protests, increased numbers of Israeli soldiers were deployed along the Gaza border, armed with assault rifles, tanks and artillery, including adjacent to residential areas, supported by IDF warplanes and attack drones.
The vast majority of Friday participants demonstrated around 300 or more meters from the border fence. They displayed Palestinian flags, chanted national songs, and set tires ablaze to obscure vision of soldiers attacking them.
Some threw stones, a few approached the second barbed-wire fence meters from the barrier separating Gaza from Israel.
Sniper fire and other IDF terror tactics continued throughout the day following Friday prayers. The Netanyahu regime falsely claims peaceful demonstrations are “riots,” blaming Palestinians for IDF violence.
Separately, Israel banned seriously ill Gazans unable to be treated in the Strip from receiving West Bank healthcare if have relatives there allegedly without permit permission to be on their own land.
Until now, only ill Gazans with relatives affiliated to Hamas were denied permission.
Few seriously ill Gazans are allowed entry to the West Bank for treatment under any conditions. Israel considers Gazans who moved to the West Bank illegal residents, demanding they return to the Strip, a flagrant Oslo violation.
Weeks earlier, Israelis near Gaza’s border said they intend suing Hamas in the International Criminal Court, accusing its leadership of the crime of self-defense, ignoring Netanyahu regime viciousness against all Palestinians.
Israel considers Palestinians wanting to live free on their own land in their own country terrorist enemies of the state.
World community indifference to their rights lets Israel get away with mass murder and much more.
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
