IOF continued to fire at Palestinian civilians in border areas in the Gaza Strip
-IOF opened fire at a peaceful demonstration in the northern Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported.
At approximately 11:40, IOF positioned on observation towers near
Beit Hanoun "Erez" crossing in the north of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, opened intensive fire at a group of demonstrators and Palestinian and international solidarity activists who were near the landfill in the north of Beit Hanoun Agricultural School of al-Azhar University in Gaza in the north of Beit Hanoun town. There were approximately 80 demonstrators including 4 international solidarity activists. IOF opened fire as the demonstrators who were approximately 80 meters far from the border fence. No casualties were reported.
Saber al-Zaanin, coordinator for the Local Initiative in Beit Hanoun and coordinator of such demonstrations in border areas in protest against the imposition of a buffer zone in Palestinians' lands, said that at approximately 11:10 on Tuesday, 10 May 2011, the demonstration started near Beit Hanoun Agricultural School and demonstrators walked northwards to the border area. As demonstrators were approximately 80 meters far from the border fence and as they were trying to put the Palestinian flag on sand dunes, a number of soldiers positioning on observation towers called the demonstrators via megaphones to go away, but the demonstrators did not respond. At approximately 11:40, IOF soldiers sporadically fired in the air in an attempt to cause panic to the demonstrators and then fired intensively. The demonstrators were panicked and fled the area especially as IOF soldiers began to fire directly at them. IOF continuingly fired for 10 minutes. After IOF stopped firing, the demonstrators left the area and no casualties were reported.
