Gazans pitch tents on Israel border ahead of protests

Palestinians in Gaza begin to pitch tents near the border with Israel ahead of a six-week protest camp under the gaze of wary Israeli soldiers.

The protest is dubbed “The Great March of Return” and has the backing of the Gaza Strip’s rulers Hamas.

On Thursday, around 20 family tents were pitched at a site near Erez, alongside two larger community tents for performances including the traditional Palestinian “dabke” dance.

Khaled al-Batsh, the head of the Islamic Jihad terrorist group, says tents would be located 500 meters (yards) from the border, just outside the buffer zone between Gaza and Israel.

Water facilities are being installed and medical teams deployed to allow people to stay for long periods.

Organizers say tens of thousands of people would attend Friday’s protest, although it was not clear how the estimate was reached.

Senior Hamas figure Salah Bardawil says that while protesters might breach the border, they were not planning to do so.

Hamas officials say they will monitor the area beyond the camp sites to prevent protesters going too close to the frontier, at least during the initial days of the protest.

Five main camp sites have been set up, spanning the length of the coastal territory from near the Erez border crossing in the north to Rafah in the far south, near Egypt.

Campers will be within sight of the border, frequently patrolled by Israeli soldiers.

Another organizer, Tahir Sawirki, tells AFP Palestinians will gather Friday in groups representing the towns they left in 1948.

He says tens of thousands of meals would be prepared for more than 100,000 expected participants.

— Agencies