Palestinians Mark 'Land Day'

Palestinians on Monday are marking "Land Day," which commemorates Palestinian persistence in defending their land and existence.



Land Day, celebrated on March 30 of each year, dates back to 1967, when six Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire during demonstrations that broke out against Israel's seizure of thousands of square kilometers of Arab land.



Israel seized territory in the northern Galilee region, where Palestinians constitute an overwhelming majority. Galilee residents responded by declaring a general strike that prompted Israeli troops to invade the region and clash with residents.



A variety of marches and activities commemorating the incident are planned across the Palestinian territories on Land Day, including in West Bank cities, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and regions inside Israel where Arabs reside.



Palestinian expatriates are expected to hold similar events in several Arab and Western capitals.



In the southern Israeli city of Rahat, the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel – an Israeli political entity representing Arabs – has called on Israel's Arab population to stage a mass protest to "affirm their commitment to holding on to the [Palestinian] territories."



In the northern Israeli village of Deir Hanna, the committee will organize a main festival for Monday's event, to be preceded by a demonstration that will see the participation of activists, citizens, heads of local councils and Arab members of the Knesset (Israel's parliament).



Usama al-Uqaibi, head of the Islamic Movement in Southern Israel, called on Palestinians residing in Israel to participate in the Land Day celebrations.



"Our message to the Israeli establishment is that we're staying in this holy land despite all Israeli plans to displace us," al-Uqaibi told The Anadolu Agency.



In a Monday statement, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said that Israel had so far seized 85 percent of the historical land of Palestine – some 27,000 square kilometers – while Palestinians currently lived on a mere 15 percent of this territory.



From 1967 to 2000, Israel razed some 500 Palestinian structures,  and between 2000 and 2014 some 1,342 Palestinian structures in Jerusalem were demolished, leading to the displacement of 5,760 citizens, the PCBS said.



By the end of 2014, the number of Jewish-only settlements and Israeli military bases in the West Bank had risen to 409, with the number of Jewish settlers in the same area reaching 580,801 by the end of 2013, according to PCBS figures.



PCBS data also shows that 48.5 percent of Jewish settlers (281,684 Israelis) are residing in the Jerusalem province, creating a ratio of 69 settlers for every 100 Palestinians.



In the West Bank, the ratio currently stands at 21 settlers for every 100 Palestinians.



The PCBS statement also noted that Israel continued to treat occupied territories as an open field for economic exploitation, especially when it pertains to regions located in "Area C," which – according to the Oslo Accords – fall under Israeli administration and represents 60 percent of the West Bank.



Regions in Area C are considered strategic in terms of natural resources, which Palestinians are barred from exploiting as the area is studded with Jewish-only settlements and Israeli army bases, the PCBS report noted.



In addition, Israel's separation barrier has isolated an additional 10 percent of the West Bank, along with vast swathes of land deemed "military zones" by Israeli authorities and closed to the Palestinians.



The Oslo Accords, signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1993 and 1995, divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C. Israel typically prevents Palestinians in Area C from erecting structures on grounds that the land falls under "Israeli administration."



Area A makes up 18 percent of the West Bank and falls under the administrative and security control of the PA; Area B represents 21 percent of the West Bank and is administered by the PA, but under Israeli security control.



As for Area C, which constitutes 61 percent of the West Bank, it remains under the administrative and security control of the self-proclaimed Jewish state. In this zone, Israeli permits are required to erect any structures.



During last summer's Israeli military onslaught on the Gaza Strip, some 9,000 housing units were completely wrecked, while 47,000 were partially damaged, according to PCBS data.



Moreover, 237 schools and six universities were devastated, 29 hospitals and medical centers were demolished and about 71 mosques – along with a number of churches – were either partially damaged or completely destroyed.



International law considers the West Bank and East Jerusalem occupied territories captured by Israel in 1967, deeming all construction of Jewish settlements on the land to be illegal.



Since its establishment 66 years ago, Israel has continued to misappropriate Palestinian land in the West Bank – on which it continues to build Jewish-only settlements – in breach of international law.



The PA, for its part, demands the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with East Jerusalem – currently occupied by Israel – as its capital.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ramallah