BEIRUT, May 16, 2011 (WAFA) – The grandson of Palestinian businessman Munib Masri was among the dozens of Palestinians injured on Sunday when Israeli soldiers opened fire at protesters inside the Lebanese territory on the borders with Israel, Monday said Masri in a statement.

At least 10 Palestinians were killed and many more injured when Israeli soldiers opened fire at protesters marking the Palestinian Nakba anniversary who crossed Lebanese army lines in Maroun Al-Ras on the borders with Israel and entered a no-man zone.

Munib Masri Junior, 22, a student at the American University of Beirut, was participating in the march at Maroun Al Ras when he was shot and seriously injured.

Masri, who is also president of Palestine Forum who took active part in reconciling the two main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, and a possible candidate for prime minister, denounced the Israeli shooting of his grandson and Palestinian demonstrators.

He said “the injury of my grandson and his student colleagues will not deter me from pursuing the struggle to achieve the dream of return and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.”

He said “I will work with all my energy to maintain the reconciliation and the Palestinian unity until the Palestinian national project is accomplished. That is the only road for peace and justice.”

Masri said Israel is not interested in peace and it does not work for the benefit of its own security or the region’s security through such aggressive policies. “Israel cannot deal violently with its Arab and Muslim neighbors. Israel needs to work towards peace with all its neighbors,” he said.

“If Israel wants to enjoy real peace and security, it should change its policies and stop at once the policies of violence, settlement building and its persistent arrogance and disregard to the feelings of the Arab population. It must respect the law and the equal right of the Palestinian people in security and dignity on an equal footing to its own security and well being,” he said.

M.A.