Land Day to be marked on balconies during coronavirus outbreak

The continued spread of the deadly coronavirus has caused Palestinians to mark the 44th Land Day on balconies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip rather than with violent confrontations with soldiers on the ground. “On Land Day and the day of the martyrs we will challenge the conditions caused by coronavirus and raise the flag of Palestine on rooftops and balconies,” Fatah was quoted as saying by Wafa (Palestine News Agency). Sirens will sound to mark the day and traffic will be stopped for an hour. Palestinians have also been urged to broadcast the national anthem, light a candle for victims and replace their own pictures on social-media platforms with the Palestinian flag or images of those killed by soldiers in 1976. Land Day commemorates the Israeli government's expropriation of Arab-owned land in the Galilee on March 30, 1976. Six unarmed Arab citizens were killed and hundreds wounded and arrested in the ensuing riots and confrontations with the IDF and police. The committee responsible for organizing the protests along the fence between Israel and Gaza canceled the planned demonstrations along the border fence that were set to take place over concerns that the virus would spread among demonstrators. “The anniversary this year comes in a time people are being forcibly locked down in their homes, because of the coronavirus. Therefore, our Palestinian masses in Gaza are strongly encouraged not to approach the border fence with Israel to mark Land Day,” the National Palestinian Organizing Committee of the Great March of Return said in a statement. “We call for everyone to adhere to all health and preventative measures announced by the Health Ministry and all official bodies to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. All should stay at home,” it said. Khaled al-Batsh, a senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group, called on Palestinians to remain at home “to maintain the safety of our people in the face of this lethal pandemic.” Last year, one Palestinian was killed and 100 others wounded by soldiers as Palestinians in the Gaza Strip took part in the “Great Return Marches” to commemorate Land Day. Marking the first anniversary of the marches, thousands of Gazans violently demonstrated along the security fence with Israel, demanding an end to the 13-year blockade of the coastal enclave. Gaza's hospitals, which were overwhelmed by gunshot wounds and amputations due to the weekly riots that also killed more than 200 Palestinians, now have to prepare for the challenge of containing the coronavirus. The World Health Organization has warned that Gaza's healthcare system would not be able to deal with an outbreak of the deadly disease in the densely populated enclave, home to nearly two million people. The first two Gazans were diagnosed with the virus last week. The two men, who had returned from Pakistan via Egypt, had been in quarantine before exhibiting symptoms and had only limited contact with others. Since then, seven others have tested positive for the virus. Another 106 cases have been diagnosed in the West Bank, which has been on lockdown since last week. One woman in her 60s died from the virus.

Land Day to be marked on balconies during coronavirus outbreak

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Land Day to be marked on balconies during coronavirus outbreak

Palestinians usually mark the day in violent clashes with soldiers in Gaza and West Bank

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