TEL AVIV — Hamas is planning a number of provocations ahead of Israel’s upcoming Independence Day next month that will include protests by thousands of Palestinians, including the elderly, women and children, according to a report Thursday in the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
According to the Israeli report, Hamas will set up staging grounds similar to refugee camps near the Gaza-Israel border as part of the protests that will be held as Israel celebrates its 70th Independence Day next month.
The newspaper indicated that the use of the refugee motif will also reflect the terrorist organization’s protest against U.S. attempts to block aid to the United Nation’s Palestinian “refugee” agency UNRWA.
These activities by Hamas are reportedly being taken seriously by the IDF in light of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the fear that any Israeli attempt to stop the protesters’ advance on the border fence with live fire will harm Israel’s image.
Breitbart Jerusalem reported last month that Hamas is actively recruiting the Palestinian organizations ahead of an operation to get thousands of Gazans to march on the border with Israel.
A source in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine told Breitbart Jerusalem at the time that Hamas had entered into consultations with various Palestinian organizations to choose the timing of the operation.
Hani Sawabteh, a spokesman for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, refused to confirm that any specific plans were being made. However, Sawabteh told Breitbart Jerusalem, “It’s the right of the Palestinians to take all measures and use all options at their disposal to protest the humanitarian disaster that’s hurting the Gaza Strip. We are considering all steps and all actions in that direction.”