Thousands turned out to form a human chain, although attendance at the peaceful demonstration was lower than the expected 40,000 people, mostly women and children, who were to stand along a 40-kilometer stretch from Rafah in the south to Beit Hanun in the north, near the Erez crossing that Israel has kept sealed since Hamas took control of the Strip last June.

The Popular Committee Against the Siege, an independent group that organized the march, said the demonstration was intended to bring global attention to the plight of 1.5 million people living under a crippling blockade in the impoverished coastal strip.

Demonstrators carried banners in Arabic and English, pleading: "Save Gaza," "The World has Condemned Gaza to Death," and "The Siege of Gaza will only Strengthen Us."

The head of the committee, lawmaker Jamal al-Khudari, told journalists the demonstration was a "peaceful and civilized act to let the people express their rejection of the siege and of collective punishment…. We are raising a cry to the world for it to act."

Khudari added the plan was not to clash with the Israeli army, which beefed up its presence along the border with Gaza, stressing the protesters would remain at a safe distance from the Erez crossing. "We hope all the participants will abide by the instructions and we will try to prevent any violations."

Eyewitnesses said the demonstrators, many of them school and university students released from classes early, remained about one kilometer away from the Erez crossing.

But a few dozen youth burned tires and rushed toward the border fence, throwing stones at the army. They reportedly quickly dispersed after the Israeli forces fired bullets and tear gas canisters at them, injuring two.

Fearing an attempted Palestinian breach of the Erez border fence, Israel forewarned that it would take precautions to prevent anyone from entering its territory, and declared the area a closed military zone.

"Israel will not intervene in demonstrations inside the Gaza Strip, but it will ensure the defense of its territory and prevent any violation of its sovereign borders," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a joint statement.

On Jan. 23, Palestinian militants blew holes in the Rafah border fence with Egypt, prompting the influx of some 700,000 Gazans into bordering Egyptian towns over a two-week period, as they stocked up on badly-needed food, medical supplies and fuel.

In preparation for Monday's demonstration Israel deployed thousands of troops and policemen along the border. It reportedly stationed an artillery battery and snipers ready to fire at demonstrators' legs if they advanced. The troops and police remained on high alert even after the demonstration ended peacefully.

Hamas said it supported the march, but did not organize it.

Analysts say if Hamas were to organize similar action, it would likely succeed in bringing together the needed number of protesters and would possibly mobilize its fighters to the "front lines" to try to tear down the barrier with Israel.

Hamas lawmaker Ismail al-Ashkar, warned Monday that if Israel did not lift the blockade on the Strip, "there will be a hurricane that will flood the whole region."

Earlier, Middle East specialists cautioned of a "human tsunami" from Gaza to Israel following a successful operation to breach the southern Rafah border with Egypt. That time, fellow Arab troops did not challenge Arab and Muslim sentiments by firing at the thousands of desperate Gazans.

However Israeli leaders, aware of the threat this time, made it clear they would not react in the same peaceful way as the Egyptian authorities did, and prepared to preempt any blame by the international community by faulting Hamas in advance should the Israeli soldiers open fire at the people.

"Israel is working to prevent an escalation, but has made it absolutely clear that if there is an escalation, the responsibility will be entirely on Hamas' shoulders," the Israeli defense and foreign ministers said in their statement, accusing the Islamist group of "orchestrating a premeditated effort to put civilians on the front line."

It was probably Israel's expected reaction that prompted Hamas, which ousted the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA) from Gaza in June, against inciting the demonstrators to flood the Erez crossing en mass.

Analysts say that Hamas does not want to risk its clout in Gaza by sacrificing Palestinian civilians, especially when some Palestinians blame the group's refusal to hand back power to the PA that has brought about the suffocating Israeli blockade on an area that fully relies on outside aid.

Palestinian sources close to the organizers of the march told the Middle East Times that despite the lower than expected turnout Monday, the grassroots move nevertheless brought international attention to the plight of a population being collectively punished for the rule of Hamas and militant home-made rockets fired on Israel from Gaza.

International agencies describe the blockade as "collective punishment" and warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis should Israel maintain the siege.

Palestinians say they hope the human chain succeeded in sending a clear message to the world that the civilians are fed up with paying the price for the Israeli blockade and the Hamas-Fatah power struggle.

Some observers say that if the international community does not exert serious pressure on Israel to lift the blockade, a "human tsunami" into Israel is inevitable – with or without Hamas and regardless of the Israeli military reaction.