GAZA: Palestinians attend a tent city protest along the Israel border with Gaza, demanding the right to return to their homeland, east of Gaza City.
Palestinians are speeding up preparations for the so-called “Great March of Return”, which will be held along the Gaza borders on Monday and Tuesday to mark Nakba Day. Similar rallies will also be organised by Palestinian factions in the West Bank and Diaspora areas, such as Lebanon and Jordan.
Israel announced a state of alert among its troops, while its aircraft launched evening raids on sites in the Gaza Strip, targeting a power generator and another site for undefined militants.
The higher committee of the Great Return March in the Gaza Strip held a meeting on Saturday for the preparation of mass rallies expected to involve tens of thousands of Gaza residents along the border with Israel, amid fears of violent confrontations with the occupation army.
Since their beginning on March 30, the “marches of return” have left 48 victims, including five children and journalists, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli occupation forces are still holding the bodies of three Palestinian victims.
In addition, more than 9,520 Palestinians have been injured, including more than 900 children, 400 women, 200 medical personnel and 110 journalists.
The higher committee presented the schedule of its activities during a press conference held in Gaza on Saturday, announcing that all institutions would be closed on Monday to participate in the “greatest march” towards the borders.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army and security forces announced a state of alert ahead of the expected mass rallies on the borders with Gaza and in the West Bank, which also coincide with the celebrations of the contentious transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem.
A local Arab-speaking Israeli channel reported that army troops and various security services have been put on standby in anticipation of attacks and confrontations in the coming days, pointing to fears of clashes during the embassy relocation ceremony on Monday.
Israeli security sources said that Israel “will not tolerate any attempt to harm its sovereignty and borders.”
