Protests: Hamas and Israel

protests: The protests are seen, in part, as an attempt by Hamas to break the blockade, according to CTV. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh renewed a pledge Monday that the marches would pave the way for a return of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. Since late March, 26 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded by Israeli fire in mass border protests led by Hamas, but also driven by widespread desperation over the territory's decade-old border blockade by Israel and Egypt. We will return to Palestine, our villages and Jerusalem, Haniyeh said in a fiery speech at one of five protest camps set up along the border. Israel has accused Hamas of using the protests as a cover for carrying out attacks and bringing infiltrators into Israel. He stopped short of threatening a mass breach of the border, though another Hamas leader has done so in recent speeches. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.