Israel/Palestinian Terr.: Violence at Gazan border continues March 30 /update 5

Event

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tank fired on two Palestinians near the Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, killing one and wounding the second, in the early hours of Friday, March 30. The two men had reportedly been approaching the Israeli border “suspiciously.” Friday’s incident comes amid a period of extreme tensions in the region, less than a day after IDF soldiers fired on Palestinians protesting near the border and at the beginning of a planned six-week protest movement in the border area. According to the military there was a third incident involving IDF soldiers firing on two men approaching the border, hitting one; further details are not currently available.

An Israeli general warned on March 28 that the army would open fire on anyone who approached the “no go” zone along the Israeli border "dangerously." Additional Israeli troops, including 100 snipers, have been deployed the border area and the border fence has been reinforced.

These heightened tensions come ahead of a planned six-week tent city protest along the Israeli-Gazan border beginning on March 30 (Land Day), in which thousands of Palestinians are expected to participate. The six-week protest period is scheduled to end with a mass march to the Israeli border, tentatively scheduled for May 15 to coincide with the Nakba ("catastrophe"), which is commemorated annually to mark the 1948 Palestinian exodus from the territory that became Israel.

Context

Land Day commemorates the events of March 30, 1976, when six Arab-Israeli citizens were killed and hundreds more wounded or arrested amid a general strike and widespread protests over land confiscated by Israeli authorities.

This year March 30 also coincides with the start of the Jewish Passover holiday, which runs until Saturday, April 7. Security measures have been strengthened across Israel for Passover, including operations to arrest undocumented Palestinian workers in the country. Typically, Israeli security forces maintain a heightened security presence in East Jerusalem during Passover and forbid Palestinians from entering Israel to work, including those with valid permits.

The Gaza Strip has been under Hamas control, and subject to an Israeli-imposed blockade, since June 2007. Humanitarian conditions have deteriorated significantly over the past decade, due in large part to shortages of potable water and regular, widespread power cuts. The coastal enclave is one of the most densely-populated regions of the world, home to over 2 million people. 

Advice

Individuals present in the Palestinian Territories are advised to avoid all protests or other public gatherings due to the high risk of violence and to monitor developments to the situation. Due to the underlying terrorist threat, travelers in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities. Some Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and areas near the Israeli-Lebanese, Israeli-Syrian, and Israeli-Egyptian borders.