Around 7,000 children took to the streets here Tuesday to demonstrate against the Israeli army's offensive in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun and against corruption among Palestinian officials. Boys and girls, aged 10 to 14, took part in the demonstration that was organised by a local charity running summer camps in the city, with ties to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.
"Sharon the coward, the Palestinian people despise you", "no to the occupation of Beit Hanun and no the occupation of Palestinian lands," some of the banners read.
The Israeli army launched a massive operation in Beit Hanun late last month in a bid to stop militants firing rockets over the border into southern Israel, first sealing off all entrances and then moving into the town centre.
The operation began shortly after a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the nearby town of Sderot, during which a rocket landed in the area.
Armour and bulldozers have since torn up agricultural fields used as cover by militants and imposed strict curfews on the town.
Other banners denounced the corruption within the Palestinian Authority and its security services.
"No to corruption, yes to political and security reforms," they said.
The Gaza Strip was recently rocked by a string of kidnappings, including of its police chief, as well as violent protests against Arafat's subsequent revamp of the security services.
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