“The Great March of Return” [2] [3] [4] or clashes on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip [1] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] - a campaign of mass anti-Israel attacks on Palestinians the border between Gaza and Israel , organized by the Hamas movement in the spring of 2018 . The campaign was planned and lasted for six weeks, from March 30, 2018, the anniversary of the “Earth Day”, and until May 15, 2018, the 70th day of Nakba [11] .
Great march return | |||
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date | from March 30, 2018 (1 year, 3 months, 26 days) | ||
A place | border between Gaza and Israel | ||
Opponents | |||
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Forces of the parties | |||
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Total loss | |||
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According to Hamas-controlled Palestinian Information Center, Hamas called this campaign of appearances the “Great March of Return” in order to draw attention to the right of all generations of Palestinians to return to the territories that became Israel 70 years ago [12] .
Hundreds of demonstrators (March 30 [13] ), the total number of which was from 30 to 50 thousand people, starting from March 30, clashed with members of the Israel Defense Forces at the border barrier, throwing stones and incendiary bottles at them and trying damage barriers burning tires. In response, the army used water cannons and other means to disperse demonstrations, and in some cases - fire to kill, which led to dozens of casualties among the marchers [14] [3] [15] [16] . At least two of them were killed in a shootout while attempting to approach the barrier with a firearm [17] [18] [19] .
The UN Security Council at an emergency meeting on March 31, 2018 condemned the use of violence in the Gaza Strip [20] . Israel, for its part, rejects accusations of disproportionate use of force, insisting that it acts within the framework of the law and uses weapons to “prevent the invasion of thousands of crowds aimed at" murder and terrorist acts " [21] .
Regular clashes with the Israeli army as part of the “return march” continued on the sector’s border with Israel in 2019, reaching their greatest scope on Fridays. [21] . As the anniversary of the “march” approaches, according to Israeli media, the militants' “activity” has intensified, accompanied by the launch of balloons with explosive and / or flammable substances towards Israel’s territory and attacks on its military [22] .
Background
The start of a mass rally in the Gaza Strip on March 30, 2018 was timed to the "Earth Day", which is set in memory of the six Arabs who died in 1976 during violent protests against the expropriation of hundreds of Israeli Arabs in the Galilee land plot by the Israeli government [23] [24] . The purpose of the march was to recall the fate of the Palestinian refugees, who, fleeing the Israeli forces, lost their land and now live in different countries of the world. Palestinian refugees , whose number, together with their descendants, is estimated at 5 million, are now seeking the right to return to their homes, once abandoned in Israel. This is considered unacceptable in Israel, where it is believed that this problem should be solved within the framework of the creation of a Palestinian state or by assimilation in the places where the Palestinian refugees live. In the Gaza Strip itself, according to UN estimates, refugees and their descendants make up 1.3 million of its 2 million inhabitants. The march to be completed by its organizers was planned for May 15, 2018, when Palestinians annually celebrate Nakba , the day of the national “catastrophe” that occurred as a result of the Arab-Israeli war (1948-1949) and subsequent events [25] [3] .
Among the specific political reasons for the return march it was in 2018 that Socialist Struggle activist Yasha Kigel . pointed out that the Israeli state and the Netanyahu government celebrated the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel without any mention of the rights of the Palestinians, as well as the transfer of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israeli socialists paid attention to the “intolerable” living conditions of the population of the Gaza Strip by 2018, where electricity is turned on only for 4 hours a day, 95% of the water resources of the Sector are unsuitable for drinking, unemployment has reached 40%, and among people younger than 30 years old - 60 % The reasons for the return of the march by these same sources are also the regular shelling by the Israeli army of Palestinian fishermen in the Mediterranean Sea and Palestinian lands near the barrier barrier [26] .
Chronology of events
On March 30, 2018, at the call of Hamas, after midday prayers, 30 to 50 thousand Palestinians went on the “Great March of Return”, which developed under the slogans of solidarity with refugees wishing to return to their homes, “abandoned but not forgotten,” within modern Israel . The most resolute activists in six places reached the fence on the Gaza border, which Israel had previously declared “closed military zone”. Even on the eve of the Israel Defense Forces , having received intelligence information about the upcoming march, it deployed several combat brigades around the perimeter of the fence, engaged armored vehicles, drones and helicopters. According to local media, "at least 15 Palestinians were killed." [27] [24] In his address to those gathered near the border, Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said: “We will not cede a single inch of Palestinian land. For Palestine, there is no alternative and there is no other solution than the return of the territories ” [2] .
During the march, hundreds of young demonstrators [13] "tried to damage (border) barriers with burning tires, threw stones and incendiary bottles. The Israeli military responded with special means and fire to kill at the" main instigators. " from the crowd and attempted to approach the separation barrier, firing at Israeli soldiers. As a result of the shootout, they were killed and their bodies transported to Israeli territory. [17] [18] [19] On the first day of the march, according to Gaza’s medical reports, 14 demonstrators were killed and 1,200 were injured. The Israeli army’s spokesman Ronen Manlis accused the Islamist sector’s authorities of “cynical” use of women and children for political purposes and said that “all the dead are men aged 18 to 30 years. ” [3] According to Israeli data presented on April 1, at least 10 of the 14 dead were previously associated with terrorist activities and were killed during such actions on March 30 [28] [29] .
March 30, 2018 was the most bloody day of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the operation "Indestructible Rock" (2014) .
On April 6, according to information published by TASS , Palestinian youth activists delivered about 10 thousand tires to the border strip and set them on fire in order to disorient the Israeli army units and complicate the review of Israeli snipers who took combat positions along the border line. The Israel Defense Forces used unmanned aerial vehicles to drop tear gas bombs on demonstrators, and powerful water cannons were used . From the beginning of the clashes on March 30 until April 7, 2018, according to the representative of the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-controlled enclave of Ashraf al-Cedar (represented by the portal Palinfo), there are about 30 Palestinian casualties among the Palestinians, 7 there are no casualties among the Israeli military [6] .
On May 14, the day when the US embassy in Israel was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem despite Palestinian protests, more than 60 people died in border clashes according to the Ministry of Health [10] , mostly Hamas activists [9] . The Israeli side sent a convoy with medicines to the Gaza Strip, which the Hamas leadership refused to accept, declaring it a propaganda trick; similar humanitarian goods sent by the UN and the PNA have been accepted [30] .
As of June 2, 2018, from the beginning of the Return March, according to Palestinian physicians, 119 residents of the Gaza Strip were killed, 13,300 people were hit by bullets and gas, 300 injured were in serious condition. Among the dead and injured there are civilians. No casualties were reported among Israelis [1] .
On July 6, during the next clashes (the 15th stage of the “March of the Great Return”), according to the Ministry of Health of the sector, one Palestinian was killed while trying to get to the border fence and 396 were injured [8] .
On October 8, according to the newspaper Vesti , about 5,000 residents of the Gaza Strip took part in the riots near the dividing structures and at the maritime border of Israel. The IDF forces prevented an attempt to break through the border near Kibbutz Zikim, launched arsonist balloons from Gaza, in particular, leading to a major fire in the Shoked Forest . During the riots, “a fragmentation grenade exploded in one of the violators’s hands, which he intended to throw at IDF troops. Several Palestinians were injured of varying degrees of severity. In total, at least 11 rioters were injured. ” [31]
In November 2018, Hamas spokesman praised Iran ’s support for the Palestinians during the Great Return March and thanked Iran for “sharing the values and interests of the Palestinians.” Iran agreed to host the families of the dead and wounded during the events in Gaza [32] .
March 8, 2019, on the 50th Friday of the “march of return”, another clashes of Palestinians with the Israeli army occurred on the border with Israel, as a result of which, according to the Ministry of Health of the sector, 16 inhabitants of the enclave were wounded with live ammunition [21] [22] .
"Fire Terror"
From April 2018, militants began to launch kites, balloons, etc. with a flammable mixture and / or explosives from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, leading to fires in the border area [33] . Only on July 29-30, more than 50 field and forest fires were recorded and extinguished around the Gaza Strip. The launch of such incendiary and explosive devices led to fires in Israeli cities and towns and a threat to the lives of their residents, including in children's institutions. [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42]
On October 16, 2018, the Jewish National Fund (JNF-KKL) reported that over the previous six months, the incendiary and explosive devices provoked 1,100 fires and "destroyed about 50% of the forest tracts located near the border with the Gaza sector." Earlier, the JNF-KKL reported on the preparation of a lawsuit for the organization of Hamas to international courts for damages "caused to the forests and lands of the JNF-KKL in areas bordering the Gaza Strip." [43] [44]
In November, Batya Holin and Adel Ramin, living in the border Kibbutzim Kfar Aza and Nirim testified before the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva. After their many-hour story about life threatened by “rockets, incendiary balloons and kites, fires, terrorist tunnels,” one of the committee members asked “why they continue to live in such a place,” while others asked about the cause of the death of Palestinians during “demonstrations ". [45]
Assessment of events and consequences
The President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, on March 31, 2018, declared that Israel was responsible for the violence [13] , declared national mourning for the dead and demanded the intervention of the international community [24] .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 31, 2018 that Israel defended its sovereignty and civilians [13] .
On March 30, 2018, the UN Security Council held urgent hearings on the situation in Gaza. And about. UN Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs urged Israel to fulfill its human rights obligations under international law and refrain from using violence against civilians, especially children. He also said that on the eve of Israel has strengthened its military units near the border, including special units and UAVs, and warned that its actions will be aimed at preventing the breakthrough of the border barrier and the violation of Israeli sovereignty [5] . The representative of the United States, Walter Miller, expressed regret that Israel could not participate in the discussion because of Pesach , and said that "Hamas uses demonstrations to incite violence and endanger people’s lives." In a statement released before the Security Council meeting, Danny Danon , Israel’s representative at the UN, blamed Hamas for its potential bloodshed, which controls the sector and invested about $ 10 million in organizing border clashes from March 30 to May 15. He also affirmed Israel’s right to protect its sovereignty and civilians [46] . In a March 31 vote, the United States blocked the draft statement prepared by Kuwait, expressing deep concern about the deaths of 16 "peaceful demonstrators," but, according to the Israeli newspaper Vesti , there was no information about "riots and attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty." As a result, the UN Security Council adopted a statement condemning the use of violence in the Gaza Strip [2] [47] .
On April 6, US Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt strongly urged protesters to hold peacefully, not violently, and not to approach border barriers closer than 500 meters. He also condemned leaders and protesters calling for violence, and “ deliberately sending protesters, including children, to the border wall with a threat to their health and life ” [48] .
On April 7, the European Union expressed “grave concern regarding the disproportionate use of force” and called on both parties for maximum restraint to prevent further escalation. The EU also called on Palestinian organizations to allow the PA administration to “fully restore its authority in Gaza, which is crucial for improving the situation and the situation of people in the sector” [49] [3] [50] .
On April 9, the Russian Foreign Ministry called Israel’s use of force against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip "absolutely unacceptable". Russia supported the request of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to conduct an "independent and transparent investigation of incidents that led to the death of people," and suggested that concrete policies be developed to resolve the long-standing conflict [51] .
After the mass death of Palestinians on May 14, Turkey expelled Israeli Ambassador Eitan Nahe and Israeli Consul General to Istanbul from the country. South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel. In Belgium and Ireland, Israeli diplomats were summoned to local governments for a report [52] .
Notes
- 2 1 2 3 Israel launched an investigation into the death of a Palestinian woman during clashes in Gaza , RIA Novosti (June 2, 2018). The appeal date is June 4, 2018.
- 2 1 2 3 UN calls to investigate the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip . Russian service BBC (March 31, 2018). The appeal date is April 8, 2018.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 The return march led thousands of Palestinians into a bloody battle with Israel . RIA News (March 30, 2018). The appeal date is April 8, 2018.
- ↑ Rosbusinessconsulting, April 9, 2016. Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli use of force against Palestinians in Gaza
- 2 1 2 Israel at at at at Israel at Israel Israel Israel Israel Israel Israel Israel ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ un.org (30 March 2018). The appeal date is June 4, 2018.
- ↑ 1 2 TASS, April 6, 2018. Media: eight Palestinians died in clashes in Gaza, about 1.1 thousand were injured (according to the portal samanews.ps)
- ↑ 1 2 TASS, April 7, 2018. Media: about 30 Palestinians were killed in a week of clashes on the border of Gaza and Israel
- ↑ 1 2 Clashes on the border with Gaza: one dead, almost 400 injured , 9tv.co.il (July 6, 2018). The appeal date was July 8, 2018. “ “ The explosive device detonated in the Gaza Strip, wounding several Palestinians, ”MEMO said in an army press service. ".
- 2 1 2 Hamas claims 50 of death
- ↑ 1 2 The death toll on the border of Palestine and Israel increased to 63 , NTV (May 16, 2018). The appeal date is May 22, 2018.
- ↑ Gaza: Refugees call in mass protests // Al-Jazeera
- ↑ The Great March of the Return is a message from the Palestinians to the world, an appeal to his conscience! // Palestinian Information Center, 11.4.2018
- 2 1 2 3 4 Israeli troops wounded dozens on Gaza border against Palestinians bury dead from earlier violence . reuters.com (March 31, 2018).
- Вели “The Great March of Return”: six Palestinians died during mass protests at the Gaza Strip border . RT (March 30, 2018). The appeal date is April 8, 2018.
- ↑ Josef Federman ,. Gaza violence is the latest in war in narratives . Associated Press / The Telegraph (April 6, 2018). The appeal date is April 9, 2018.
- ↑ David Wainer, Michael Arnold and Saud Abu Ramadan. Palestinians Clash With the Israeli Troops for Second Week in Gaza (Eng.) . bloomberg.com (7 April 2018).
- ↑ 1 2 Yoav Zitun, Elior Levy. IDF exchanges fire with terrorists in northern Gaza . ynetnews.com (March 30, 2018). The appeal date is June 4, 2018.
- ↑ 1 2 The UN Security Council did not condemn the actions of the Israeli military on the Gaza border . newsru.co.il (March 31, 2018). The appeal date is June 4, 2018.
- 2 1 2 Gaza Protests Mark Shift in Palestinian National Consciousness . reliefweb.int (April 2, 2018).
- ↑ Error in footnotes ? : Invalid
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no text for footnotes - 2 1 2 3 In Gaza, 16 Palestinians were hit in clashes with the Israeli army , RIA Novosti (March 8, 2019). The appeal date is March 11, 2019.
- ↑ 1 2 At the frontier of the Gaza Strip, the next stage of the "return march" . newsru.co.il (March 8, 2019).
- ↑ Tucker, 2008 , pp. 604-605: Land Day.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Sergey Pashkov. During the riots on the Israeli border with Gaza, 15 Palestinians were killed . Russia 1 (March 30, 2018). The appeal date is April 8, 2018.
- ↑ Tucker, 2008 .
- ↑ Leonid Krieger . "It can lead to war." Interview with Yasha Kiegel about the situation in Israel and Palestine , Socialist News (June 14, 2018). The appeal date is July 8, 2018.
- ↑ During the riots on the Israeli border with Gaza killed 15 Palestinians , March 30, 2018
- ↑ Tal Lev-ram ( Maariv .). IDF official says Israel will not return bodies of Gaza terrorists (Eng.) . jpost.com (1 April 2018). The appeal date is June 4, 2018.
- ↑ Khaled Abu Toameh.). Palestinians rage at US, UK after failed at condemn Israel at UN (Eng.) . timesofisrael.com (1 April 2018). The appeal date is June 4, 2018.
- ↑ Raf Sanchez. Hamas plans further protests as Rejects Medical Supplies from Israel . The Telegraph (May 16, 2018). The appeal date is May 22, 2018.
- Video: 5,000 Gazans went on the border breakthrough - on land and at sea . vesty.co.il . Vesti (Israel) (October 9, 2018).
- ↑ Hamas thanked Iran for supporting the Great March of Return , Regnum (November 29, 2018). The appeal date is March 11, 2019.
- ↑ Flaming Kites From Gaza Thwarted by Winds . nytimes.com . nytimes.com (May 4, 2018).
- ↑ Combustible kites are a new weapon of the Islamists from Gaza. VIDEO . 9tv.co.il (April 16, 2018).
- ↑ Scorched earth: so Gaza "returns" to Israel. Photo Report . newsru.co.il (June 4, 2018).
- ↑ Gaza arsonists intensified, IDF passive . newsru.co.il (July 31, 2018).
- Ighting Fighting Fires from “Kite Terror” in Israeli Fields and Forests (English) . kkl-jnf.org (23 May 2018).
- ↑ Anne Barker. 'Kite war' as Palestinians farmland forest in conflict with Israel (Eng.) . abc.net.au (June 20, 2018).
- Show Study Shows that Hamas's Incendiary Kite Terror Has Burned Up . thetower.org (18 October 2019).
- ↑ Explosive at the kindergarten: Hamas sent a "parcel" to Israeli kids . vesty.co.il (December 28, 2018).
- ↑ Jason D. Greenblatt. The UN must do better to condemn terrorism (eng.) . thehill.com (2018-12-37). - “ Hamas fired over four hundred rockets into Israel. It has released hundreds of burning kites and encouraged violent demonstrations. ”It is clear that they’re calling for numbers of civilians .
- ↑ Fire terror: an aircraft with explosives fell near the border with Gaza . vesty.co.il (January 6, 2019).
- ↑ Over the past six months, 1,100 fires have been triggered . iland.tv (October 16, 2018).
- ↑ The JNF-KKL will sue the Palestinians for damage caused by fires . ea.kkl-jnf.org (June 5, 2018).
- ↑ UN - to residents on the border with Gaza: why are you not leaving? mignews.com (November 26, 2018). “ Batya Holin told ynet in an interview:“ When I was asked why I wasn’t leaving because of this situation, I realized how committee members were divorced from reality ... ”They asked me: how do you explain the fact that the IDF is of these demonstrations killed dozens of Palestinians? I explained to them that the demonstrators sent by Hamas, although they rush into our homes and harm us, and therefore we have the right to defend ourselves. ”
- ↑ David Rosenberg. Danon warns UN over Gaza protests (English) . israelnationalnews.com (29 March 2018). ““ Israel will defend its sovereignty ”, the Israeli ambassador on IDF on the Israeli border.”. The appeal date is June 4, 2018.
- ↑ The United States did not allow the UN Security Council to adopt an anti-Israeli statement on the situation in Gaza . "News" (04/01/18). The appeal date is April 8, 2018.
- ↑ The United States called on protesters on the border with Gaza to avoid any form of violence . RIA News (2018-0-406). The appeal date is April 10, 2018.
- ↑ Maja Kocijancic. Statement by the Spokesperson on the most recent developments in Gaza (English) . EU (07/04/2018). The appeal date is April 8, 2018.
- ↑ The European Union calls on Palestine and Israel to show maximum restraint against the backdrop of military escalation around the Gaza Strip . RBC (April 7, 2018). The appeal date is April 8, 2018.
- The Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s use of force against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip . RBC (April 9, 2018). The appeal date is April 8, 2018.
- ↑ Noa Landau and Jonathan Lis. . Turkey and Israel Expel Envoys Over Gaza Deaths . Haaretz (May 16, 2018). The appeal date is May 16, 2018.
Links
- Spencer C. Tucker, Priscilla Roberts. The Political Conflict: A Political, Social, and Military History [4 volumes : A Political, Social, and Military History]. - ABC-CLIO, 2008. - 1553 p. - ISBN 1851098429 , 9781851098422.
- Breaking the coup: Hamas was told why “return marches” are needed . 9tv.co.il (September 5, 2018).
- Alex Goltseker. Hamas is ready for a new war . inosmi.ru / cursorinfo.co.il (October 18, 2018).
- Lieberman: in Gaza there is not and there was no "popular protest" . cursorinfo.co.il (October 22, 2018).
- Examination of the list of fatalities in the “return marches” reveals that they are the operatives of terrorist organizations, about half of whom are affiliated with Hamas . terrorism-info.org.il (01/21/2019). - Full document in PDF format .
- Gaza Border Events: Questions & Answers (English) (Updated to: 1 February 2019). idf.il. Israel Defense Forces (2019).