Gaza -Ma'an - Dozens of Palestinian women and children staged a sit in at the Erez border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday to protest the ongoing closure of the Strip by the Israeli military.
Protesters carried banners denouncing the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip nine months ago. Some signs demanded the opening of Gaza's border crossings and the introduction of food, medicine and fuel to residents in the Strip.
Umm Mohammad, a 55-year-old woman attended the protest. "The Israelis killed two of my sons, aged 12 and 14 years, while they were playing in front of the house. What did they do to deserve to be killed? We are being killed and no one is defending us and protecting us," she said.
A 12-year old girl named Rahma said she thinks the international community should intervene and open the border crossings. "I am a girl and I would like to live like other children in the world. I am sick and I can receive any treatment, I need help," she said.
Israel closed Gaza's borders last June, allowing virtually no one out, and limiting vital imports of food, fuel, medicine, and other goods.
