Israel drops flyers on Gaza, warns against Friday demos

By Nour Abu Aisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Israeli military aircraft on Thursday dropped leaflets across the blockaded Gaza Strip warning Palestinians not to take part in planned Friday demonstrations.

The leaflets reportedly warned Gazans “to refrain from participating in demonstrations and chaos, which will only endanger your lives”.

Another one read: “Do not participate in violent demonstrations near the [Gaza-Israel] barrier for your own good.”

“Don’t let Hamas exploit you for its own narrow interests,” it added.

Palestinian political factions are calling for a “million-man” demonstration on Friday to show solidarity with Jerusalem and demand an end to the decade-long Israeli/Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Since March 30, thousands of Palestinians have taken part in rallies held near the Gaza-Israel security fence to demand the “right of return” to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.

More than 120 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed in eastern Gaza by Israeli army gunfire -- and thousands more injured -- since the rallies began more than two months ago.