4-1-2012
At
approximately 11:30 am on Tuesday 24 January 2012, Israeli Occupation
Forces (IOF) opened heavy fire with live ammunition and launched tens of
tear gas canisters at a peaceful demonstration organized by the Local
Initiative in Beit Hanoun. The demonstrations are organized weekly to
protest the imposition of the so-called “security buffer zone.”
Demonstrators were between 100 to 300 meters from the separation fence
when the IOF opened fire on them. No casualties or injuries were
reported, but the demonstrators were choked by the tear gas. This is
not the first time that the IOF has attacked the peaceful weekly
demonstration.
In
his affidavit to Al Mezan, Saber Az-Zaneen, 33, one of the
demonstration’s organizers, stated: “At around 10:30 am on Tuesday, 60
Palestinians, five international solidarity activists, 10 journalists,
and members of the Local Initiative walked in a march from the
Agricultural Secondary School to a point near the border about 100
meters away from the separation fence. Israeli snipers who were in
concrete watchtowers fired tear gas canisters at the protestors,
so they headed to the south. The situation was chaotic. Demonstrators
started to carry away others who were choking from inhaling tear gas.
“The
protestors moved alongside the separation fence about 150 meters to the
east, to a spot near the old solid waste dump. They stopped there and
chanted against the security buffer zone, waving Palestinian and
international flags. Meanwhile, several Israeli soldiers descended from
the watchtowers and opened fire directly at the demonstrators. I could
see bullets hitting the sand. The demonstrators moved back.
“The
demonstrators continued to walk east, towards the Israeli military
transmission tower, and stopped again at a point about 200 meters away
from the separation fence. I saw several military jeeps stop and a
number of IOF soldiers got out and again opened fire directly at the
demonstrators. All of us left the area and then moved to the
southeast. We stopped at the Ash-Sha’fa area, about 250 meters away
from the eastern separation fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
The demonstrators continued to chant against the buffer zone.
A
number of Israeli military jeeps stopped before us. Some soldiers got
out of the jeeps and opened heavy fire with bullets and tear gas
canisters directly at the demonstrators. Many of the protesters were
choking on the gas, so then we headed in groups to the south.
We
approached the monument located southeast of Beit Hanoun. The IOF, who
we could see with our naked eyes, opened fire towards us again. We
went to the south and reached a point about 200 meters away from the
eastern separation fence. We had reached the outskirts of the Abu
Safiya area, east of Jabaliya and southeast of Beit Hanoun. The IOF
continued its firing at us. We had moved about 8,000 meters along the
length of the separation fence. We decided to leave the area at around
1:40 pm on the same day.”
This
is the first time that the IOF has fired tear gas canisters at this
demonstration, and the second time that the demonstrators have been
forced to walk this great a distance retreating from IOF fire
