Citizens in the Gaza Strip are preparing to organize a "million-million march" Saturday, a year after the launch of the "return marches", in which bloody confrontations raised fears of further escalation.
The anniversary coincides with "Earth Day", and comes two weeks before the date of the Israeli legislative elections, and a few days after a new military confrontation between Israel and Hamas and the resistance factions in Gaza, began firing rockets from the Gaza Strip in the direction of Israel, and one of them Tel Aviv, Prompting Israel to respond violently with bombings and raids that caused extensive destruction.
Peaceful marches drew world attention. It was launched for the first time near the borders of the Gaza Strip on March 30 last year and continued for a year, especially on Fridays. But Palestinians and analysts question a year later that killed 258 Palestinians and wounded about 17,000 Others, on whether the move achieved its objectives, and on the strategy to be followed with the start of the second year.
Palestinian demonstrators demand the lifting of the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip for more than a decade and the right of return for Palestinian refugees who were expelled or left their homes when the State of Israel was established in 1948.
The confrontations culminated on 14 May when the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem, and at least 62 Palestinians were killed by Israeli occupation forces and hundreds injured.
The marches marked a popular and peaceful character, and the Supreme Court of the Movement of Return, which includes Hamas and other Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip and civil and civil institutions, identified five main sites for the protest rally in which camps were set up near the fence separating the Gaza Strip and Israel.
The firing of tires, throwing of stones and kites, the most prominent tools of marches in the first months, before developing into the use of balloons and incendiary explosive, and responded by firing live ammunition and tear gas.
Palestinians and human rights groups have criticized Israel for its violent response to the protests, saying the soldiers were shooting at demonstrators who pose no significant threat. While Israel believes that its response is necessary to defend the border, and accuses Hamas, which has fought with three wars since 2008, to stand behind the demonstrations and the use of violence.
"Israeli soldiers have deliberately shot at civilians in what could constitute war crimes," a UN report said.
During this same period, only two Israeli soldiers were killed.
"My dream has become a reality of weekly protests," said Ahmed Abu Arteima, one of the most prominent activists who founded the idea of ​​the "return marches." He acknowledges that "achieving the goals is not easy and we should struggle to continue the march in a popular and peaceful manner."
"What happened is not exactly what I wanted, but there is a difference between dream and reality."
Abu Arteema, a Palestinian refugee family, is working with others to spread invitations through Facebook to gather near the border to protest against the continued siege on the impoverished Gaza Strip and to establish the right of return.
According to the political science professor at Al-Azhar University, Mukhtar Abu Saada, the marches began peacefully and then included other activities such as incendiary balloons, and this gave Israel a justification for brutally killing.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday called on Palestinians to "go out on Earth Day and participate in the million return."
The supreme body called for a strike on Saturday in all Palestinian territories.
Abu Sa´ada said that the marches had achieved some of their goals by "rehabilitating the Palestinian cause and the refugee issue after it had fallen because of the Palestinian division and the Arab spring."
"The march of the great return with its legitimate and peaceful popular struggle is the strongest message to the world because our people are committed to the right of return and will not tolerate nonviolent peaceful popular resistance,
The opinions of Gazan citizens were optimistic and pessimistic about the achievement of the goals of the marches, at a time when the unemployment rate among young people in the sector 70 percent, according to official Palestinian census.
"We are bored and we do not know if we will achieve our goals by lifting the siege and the return of the refugees. I am not sure because everyone is against us and we are against some," Ayman al-Mafleh, 20, told AFP every Friday.
Abdul Jabbar Abdullah, 65, said he took part in the marches every Friday because he felt "longing" for the city of Jaffa, where his family had been abandoned. "I do not expect to go back to Jaffa, my children and grandchildren can return to it," he says.
Two weeks ago, activists in Gaza organized a popular movement called "We Must Live," through calls from social networking sites to demand better living conditions. Security services in Gaza, run by Hamas, have banned demonstrations.
Abu Arteima expressed a sense of "disappointment" over Hamas´ actions against the movement. "Instead of the security crackdown on the demonstrators, Hamas could simply invite its supporters to participate with these citizens and to open a dialogue with them, how to convince the world of our right to peaceful protest against the occupation.
At this time, the escalation between the resistance factions in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli occupation army over the weekend raised fears of a new war.
The Egyptian security delegation held several meetings with the leadership of Hamas and other Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip in order to stabilize the truce.
Egypt has been mediating between Hamas and Israel for a long time.
A Palestinian official said that "the factions agreed to calm the sector and to deport the participants in the march of the return of the million meters from the fence and stop the firing of balloons and incendiary explosive."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel was ready for a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, but only "after exhausting all other options."
Israel is seeking to avoid a new wave of escalation before the elections
