Palestinians in Lebanon try to breach border to “extricate Palestine from the occupation’s claws,” says PA daily
Headline: “Refugees climb the separation wall between Lebanon and Palestine and break Israeli security cameras”
“For 100 years, the gunpowder of injustice and racism has been stronger than the gunpowder in the lethal weapon [of the occupation] – and today it has blown up in its face at the intersections of every Palestinian village and town, and first signs have appeared heralding victory in Jerusalem, Lod, the Shuafat [neighborhood of Jerusalem], Nablus, and the Gaza Strip (refers to violent Arab riots; see note below -Ed.)…
The Palestinian refugees in the diaspora – who have paid the tax of this enemy’s arrogance and barbarity unfairly and by force – saw a close victory in the heroic confrontations of their people and the shaming of their enemy, and suddenly Palestine seemed near. They came out from the refugee camps and their communities from northern Lebanon to its south, while taking one united position together with their people and expressing willingness to stretch out a hand to fight together with them, to defend Palestine, and to extricate it from the occupation’s claws. They demanded that the Lebanese authorities open the Palestinian-Lebanese border…
From the early morning hours [of May 15, 2021], buses transporting Palestinians came out of the refugee camps in northern [Lebanon], the Beqaa [Valley], Beirut, Sidon, Tyre, and all the Palestinian communities, and they succeeded in reaching the Lebanese (sic., Israeli) border, where Lebanese groups joined them. The [Lebanese] National News Agency reported that there was pushing and altercations broke out between the Palestinian demonstrators and the [Lebanese] security forces and army next to the Fatima Gate, after they attempted to cross the checkpoint that was placed there to prevent them from passing through the path leading to the Marjayoun plain, where the border between the two states is a wire fence…
The agency reported that a number of the demonstrators climbed the fence separating between Lebanon and occupied Palestine (i.e., Israel) at Kafr Kila, broke the Israeli enemy’s security cameras that are installed there, and threw rocks.
According to the agency, Palestinians at Marjayoun waved Palestinian flags and called out ‘[Remember] Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad wants to return (see note below -Ed.).’”
Fatah/Hamas Riot and Rocket War 2021 – On April 30, 2021, facing certain electoral defeat, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas cancelled the first PA elections scheduled in 15 years. Hamas, which expected to win the elections, denounced it as a “coup.” In need of a conflict to divert public discontent, Abbas artificially generated a crisis over Jerusalem. His Fatah party called for "raising the level of confrontation,” and Abbas' spokesman told Palestinians "the battle of all battles is here.” Jerusalem Arabs responded by attacking Jews with rocks and Molotov cocktails. Hamas, Abbas' political rival, could not allow Abbas to lead the battle, so on May 10, 2021, Hamas launched rocket barrages targeting Israeli population centers including Jerusalem. Over the next 11 days, Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired over 4,300 rockets into southern and central Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing 9 Israelis and 3 foreign nationals, and wounding hundreds. In response, Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls to target Hamas terror leaders and terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Already in mid-April, a planned eviction of some Palestinian families illegally living in Jewish-owned buildings in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem had led to clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli police. This dispute provided Palestinians with a pretext for violent rioting. Adding to the crisis, Israeli Arabs started rioting throughout Israel, especially in cities with a mixed Jewish and Arab population. Two Jews were murdered and many were wounded. According to Walla, an independent Israeli news site, 10 synagogues were wholly or partly burned down; fires were set in 112 Jewish homes and 1 Arab home mistaken for a Jewish home; 386 Jewish homes were plundered and 673 were damaged; 849 cars were set ablaze; and there were 5,018 rock-throwing attacks. In response, Jews started attacking Arabs and their properties as well, but on a much smaller scale. No mosques were burned; 13 Arab homes were damaged; 13 Arab-owned cars were burned; and there were 41 rock-throwing attacks by Jews. [Walla, May 16, 2021] The fighting between Israel and Hamas ended with a ceasefire on May 21, 2021.
Khaibar is the name of the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad's army in 628. Many Jews were murdered in the battle, which marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia. There are Muslims who see this event as a precursor to future wars against Jews. At extremist gatherings and rallies, this slogan is often chanted as a threat to Jews warning them that they should expect their coming defeat and slaughter by Muslims.