Qais Abu Samra
05 June 2020•Update: 05 June 2020
RAMALLAH
At least five people were injured on Friday as Israeli army cracked down on separate marches of Palestinians marking the 53rd anniversary of the setback day or Naksa in Arabic.
Separate marches took place across the occupied West Bank in which they raised the Palestinian flag and chanted slogans condemning the Israeli occupation and its repressive practices.
The army used rubber-coated metal bullets, gas and sound bombs to suppress the demonstrators.
A Palestinian was injured by a metal bullet in the head while Israeli forces were dispersing a march in northern Jordan Valley.
In Kafr Qaddum, Murad Shtaiwi, the coordinator of the Popular Resistance Committees, told Anadolu Agency that four Palestinians were injured by metal bullets and dozens of people were affected by tear gas.
On Thursday, Palestinian factions called for the wide popular participation in marches condemning the occupation and the Israeli decision to annex parts of the West Bank and to commemorate the Naksa day.
On June 5 of each year, the Palestinians commemorate the 1967 war, which entailed Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula and the Syrian Golan Heights.
Israel is expected to carry out the annexation on July 1, as agreed between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, the head of the Blue and White party.
The plan comes as part of US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century” that was announced on Jan. 28, which refers to Jerusalem as “Israel’s undivided capital” and recognizes Israeli sovereignty over large parts of the West Bank.
* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat
