Palestinians collect massive tires for burning for the second Friday rally along Gaza-Israel borders. (Xinhua Photo)
GAZA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza-Israel border area looks like a giant car tire workshop as Palestinian activists have collected countless tires to burn during demonstrations scheduled for the second Friday of the major Return March.
"The smoke of the burnt tires is meant to block the vision of the Israeli soldiers stationed along the borders," activist Hossam Moaarouf told Xinhua.
Maarouf explained that they had set up a plan to burn the tires throughout the day and not to be burned them all at once to disturb the Israeli snipers as long as possible.
At least 17 Palestinians were killed and over 1,200 were injured last Friday as Israeli forces opened fire towards scores of Palestinian protestors marking the Palestinian Land Day during a massive rally held at the borders between Gaza and Israel.
The Friday rally was the start of a six-week long protest that is expected to reach a peak on May 15, the day Israel celebrates its establishment and the Palestinians mark the forcible transfer of two thirds of the Palestinian people and the ethnic cleansing of 418 Palestinian villages.
Young people have been racing against time to collect as much tires as possible to be used as defensive weapons during Friday's expected demonstrations.
"This is part of the peaceful confrontation plan we are going to do in order to reduce the number of casualties and deaths during the protests," a young man, who preferred not to mention his name, told Xinhua.
Palestinian activists launched "The Tire Friday" Hashtag on social to promote for the mass rallies the Palestinian kicked off last Friday.
The Hashtag went trending hours after it was launched.
Activists say the move to burn tires came after they realized the importance of burning tires as smoke and black fogs will disturb Israeli snipers.
This is not the first time that Palestinians have burnt tires during confrontations with the Israeli army. This is idea was first used during the first uprising, aka Intifada, in 1987.
But this time it will be the first time they burn such a large number of tires on the eastern edge of the Gaza Strip.
The rally organizers paved tiny roads between the agricultural fields to be used as passages by donkey-dragged carts and tricycles that carry the tires.
Simultaneously with gathering tires, demonstrators burned scores of them in some areas along the borderline to try out the idea.
Palestinians on social media websites and applications were preoccupied with the idea of burning tires between supporters and opponents amid sarcastic comments about the ability of demonstrators to use successful innovations during confrontations against the Israeli soldiers.
"The people of Gaza are breaking the ozone layer on Friday," one activist posted on Facebook.
Another wrote: the tire battalion consists of tricycles and carts for logistical support, the secrecy of the ignition brigade and the support brigade which will provide protestors with rounds of tires.
In addition to burning car tires, protestors will also use mirrors to reflect sunlight into Israeli snipers' eyes to hurt their sight.
