Gaza: The Palestinians are ready for escalating popular protests on Monday in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Representational image. Reuters
The Palestinian protests on Monday will coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence, one day before the Palestinians' Nakba Day, or "Day of Catastrophe", reports Xinhua. The event is also held to protest over the United States relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which US President Donald Trump recognised as the capital of Israel last December.
The national commission of the protests in Gaza called for the largest-ever mass rallies, dubbed "the day of passage," in eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel.
On Sunday afternoon, traffic across Gaza stopped for five minutes to announce the start of the largest activities in the six-week marches, which began on 30 March and are scheduled to end on 15 May. "Monday will be a historic day in the popular marches," the national commission was quoted as saying.
It also called on people in the Gaza Strip to organise a Palestinian march of one million participants to defy Israel's 12-year blockade imposed on the coastal enclave. The commission stressed the popular and peaceful essence of the marches, and the Palestinians "will not retreat from achieving their goals of return and defying the siege."
It called on the Gaza residents to be committed to the announced measures including closing public institutions, universities as well as other daily services and heading to the border in eastern Gaza.
Updated Date: May 14, 2018 08:16 AM
