Gaza threatens to escalate ‘March of the Return’ protests

Talal Abu Zarifa, a senior member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine organization and a member of the National Committee of the Return Processions, said on Sunday that all the mediators between Israel and the leadership of Gaza are aware of Palestinian criticism of what he called the “Israeli procrastination” in implementing the understandings regarding a ceasefire.

In a conversation with the Felesteen al-Yawm website, Zarifa said that Israel was well aware of the commitments it had taken in return for calm and for not using the means of popular resistance in the weekly “March of the Return” processions.

If Israel does not immediately implement the understandings, then there will be repercussions on the ground, Zarifa said. The Palestinians are demanding, among other things, that money be allowed into the Gaza Strip, the granting of a permit to fish at a greater distance from the shore and the lifting of the prohibition on the entry of certain goods (which can also be used for military purposes).

On a threatening note, Zarifa said that the Palestinian response to the non-implementation of the understandings by Israel might be expressed in the use of all means of resistance, including expanding the area of ​​operation of the “March of the Return” processions.

Zarifa’s statements indicate that the processions along the border fence are not spontaneous protest events, but rather activities that are organized by the Palestinian leadership in Gaza.

The violent weekly riots along the Gaza-Israel border have been taking place every Friday for more than a year, since March 30, 2018.

Hamas openly admitted last year that most of the Gazans who have been killed in the border riots were members of the group.

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