Palestinians call for largest anti-Israel protests in Gaza, West Bank

The Palestinians are preparing on Sunday for escalating popular protests on Monday in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The Palestinian protests on Monday will coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence, one day before the Palestinians' Nakba Day, or "Day of Catastrophe", reports Xinhua.

The event is also held to protest over US relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which US President Donald Trump recognised as the capital of Israel last December.

The national commission of the protests in Gaza called for the largest-ever mass rallies, dubbed "the day of passage," in eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel.

On Sunday afternoon, traffic across Gaza stopped for five minutes to announce the start of the largest activities in the six-week marches, which began on March 30 and are scheduled to end on May 15.

"Monday will be a historic day in the popular marches," the national commission was quoted as saying.

It also called on people in the Gaza Strip to organise a Palestinian march of one million participants to defy Israel's 12-year blockade imposed on the coastal enclave.

The commission stressed the popular and peaceful essence of the marches, and the Palestinians "will not retreat from achieving their goals of return and defying the siege."

It called on the Gaza residents to be committed to the announced measures including closing public institutions, universities as well as other daily services, and heading to the border in eastern Gaza.

--IANS

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