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Hamas vows to use 'all means' to break Gaza siege
Hamas vowed early Monday to use any means to breach the Israeli embargo on the Gaza Strip, hours before a planned mass rally in Gaza to protest economic sanctions against the Hamas-controlled area. As part of the demonstration, the protesters are scheduled to march toward the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. "Our people will not allow the continuation of this situation regardless of the results, and we will work to break the siege by all possible means," said Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri, who nonetheless stopped short of threatening to breach the border. The Israel Defense Forces has bolstered its forces along the border with the Gaza Strip, fearing that the rally's participants will try to break into Israel. Commanders have received orders to stop entry into Israel "by all means," including sniper fire against the legs of the demonstrators. The organizers of the demonstration are planning a "human chain" which will stretch along the main highway running north to south in the Strip. The head of the Popular Committee Against the Siege of Gaza, an independent member of the Palestinian parliament, Jamal al-Hudari, who is close to Hamas, said that the chain will stretch to 40 kilometers in length, from Rafah in the south to the Erez crossing, and will include 40,000 children. Posted by: Fred 2008-02-25 |
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