Palestinians mark Nakba with protests, strike

Ramallah: Thousands of Palestinians poured onto the streets of the West Bank and Gaza on Tuesday, in memory of the "catastrophe" which befell them when Israel was founded in 1948.

May 15 is the date when Palestinians mark the "Nakba" or "catastrophe" when hundreds of thousands of them fled or were expelled from their homes in the war that accompanied Israel's declaration of independence.

Sirens, a minute's silence

Loud sirens blared across the West Bank city of Ramallah at midday to mark the anniversary, with people observing a minute's silence ahead of a huge rally in the Clock Square.

Throughout the city, cars were decked out with black flags carrying a picture of a key and the word "return" in English and Arabic to remember homes they left or were forced from which are now inside Israel.

Military prison

Hundreds also gathered at the nearby Ofer military prison, and at the Qalandiya crossing between Ramallah and occupied Jerusalem, where youths hurled stones at Israeli troops, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse them, AFP correspondents said.

Further north, several thousand people gathered in Nablus city centre waving flags and calling for the right of return.

But they also hailed the successful end of a mass hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, which was resolved late on Monday.

Clashes

Clashes broke out early on Tuesday between police and stone-throwing demonstrators in the occupied east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Issawiya.

Israel also said a projectile fired from Gaza landed in the country's south, though it was unclear if it was linked to the Nakba day commemoration.

'Explosive device'

"An explosive device fired from the Gaza Strip, a rocket or a mortar shell, landed early this morning in southern Israel, causing no injuries or damage," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.

Israeli security forces are on alert ahead of the main Nakba day commemorations, which have in the past often resulted in clashes with troops and police.

Tuesday's main rally is slated for he West Bank city of Ramallah, but demonstrations are also expected by the nearby Ofer military prison and Qalandia checkpoint.

General strike

The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, which represents Arab communities in Israel, called for a general strike and for Arab-Israelis to visit the sites of former Palestinian villages.

May 15 has traditionally been the day when Palestinians mark the "Nakba" or "catastrophe," when hundreds of thousands of them fled or were expelled from their homes in the war that accompanied Israel's declaration of independence.

More than 760,000 Palestinians — estimated today to number 4.7 million with their descendants — fled or were driven out of their homes.

160,000 Palestinians stayed behind

Around 160,000 Palestinians stayed behind and are now known as Arab Israelis.

They now number about 1.3 million people, or some 20 per cent of the population.

Rosenfeld said on Monday that extra forces would be deployed in anticipation of Nakba day.

Last year, Israeli troops opened fire on demonstrators from Lebanon and Syria as they tried to breach a security fence and enter Israel.

Four protesters from Syria were killed along with another 10 from Lebanon. Hundreds were wounded. A senior military official in Israel's northern command said troops had trained to handle all situations, although they were not aware of plans for any big demonstrations along the borders.

Provocations

"We are getting ready for all kinds of provocations," he told AFP on condition of anonymity. This year's Nakba events are largely expected to be peaceful, with protesters hailing a mass hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The strike appeared to have come to an end on Monday night after an Egyptian-mediated deal under which Israel offered a number of measures easing prison conditions in exchange for an end to the hunger strike.