Palestinians have called off their weekly peaceful protests along the fence separating besieged Gaza Strip from Israel, the Higher National Commission for the March of Return and Breaking the Siege announced today.
The agency said in a brief statement:
“The national authority for the March of Return has called for the postponement of the marches on an exceptional basis today.”
A press conferance by the higher comitee of the Great Return March https://t.co/yzlhZ090cx
— Great Return March (@GreatReturnMa) March 14, 2019
The commission said this was an effort to maintain calm in the Strip and prevent escalations after Israeli forces bombed 100 sites in the besieged enclave overnight injuring four Palestinians.
It added that this was also in preparation for a larger protest which is due to be held on March 30, one year after the Great March of Return first launched.
#Israel Strikes #Gaza in Massive Escalation after Two Rockets Land near Tel Aviv (VIDEO) https://t.co/4rLAKgBWEY @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/hyyjqg9YK5
— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 15, 2019
This is the first time the marches have been stopped since they launched 51 weeks ago.
Since Palestinians in Gaza began holding the rallies in March last year, more than 250 protesters have been killed — and thousands more injured — by Israeli army gunfire.
Good morning from Malakah camp , astern of #Gaza.
The nearest point to our homeland.#GreatReturnMarch pic.twitter.com/ak7IDVvhsj— Great Return March (@GreatReturnMa) March 15, 2019
Demonstrators demand the right of Palestinian refugees to return to the homes from which they were driven out of in 1948 to make way for the creation of the new state of Israel.
They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
