Hamas has called for “all Palestinians” to take part in a mass protest, another “Friday of Rage,” to mark the 100th day since President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and pledged to relocate the US embassy to the city.
Palestinians are being urged to move into tent cities around the border.
Israel is preparing for a scenario in which tens of thousands of Gazans will march to Israel’s border fence with Gaza, possibly attempting to take it down and march into Israel.
Hamas announced the rally – a human-chain over 50 kilometres (30 miles) long from northern Gaza to southern Gaza. Hamas spokesman Ahmed Abu Retaima said that the protest, which is estimated to gather 100,000 Palestinian, will be peaceful.
However, Ehud Yaari, an international fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said that the Hamas march is “clearly an attempt to break through the fences, and they are ready to tolerate losses”.
This implies that the protests may not be as peaceful as Hamas says.
Israel is concerned with this march and will try to minimize casualties by deploying non-lethal crowd dispersal ordinance, including drones that will drop tear gas canisters on the crowds.
Protests have also been encouraged in Judea and Samaria, the so-called West Bank, after Friday prayers.
Hamas has stated that such protests would continue until the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel “is undermined.”
Hamas on Sunday carried out an unprecedented military exercise in the Gaza Strip, including the test-firing of a rocket, as Israel boosted its forces along the border in preparation for a Palestinian planned mass march on Passover eve.
Eyewitnesses said the terror organization fired at least one rocket towards the Mediterranean and practised attacking several models of Merkava tanks, similar to those used by the IDF.
The provocations undertaken by Hamas last weekend –where the Iron Dome Defence batteries launched interceptor missiles- appear to be the preparation for the so-called “Friday of Rage”.
