Palestinians set for Land Day demonstrations

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza and in Israel are set to demonstrate to remember the killings of six Palestinian-Israelis killed by Israeli security forces in 1976 during protests over the confiscation of their land.Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian organiser, said that activists from 82 countries were expected to participate in Land Day activities on Friday.Mahmoud Aloul, a Palestinian leader in the West Bank involved in preparations, said demonstrations were to be held in Jerusalem, at the Qalandiya checkpoint on the outskirts of the city and in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Other events were planned in towns in northern Israel.Activists in Gaza planned to hold a demonstration about a kilometre from the Israeli border, but said they did not plan to move closer, minimising the chance of clashes.Supporters in neighbouring countries planned marches near the Israeli borders in a solidarity event dubbed a “Global March to Jerusalem”.Israel on Thursday announced a general closure of the West Bank from late on Thursday until late on Friday “in accordance with security assessments”, while authorities have deployed thousands of troops and police across the country and along its borders.Yohanan Danino, the Israeli police chief, raised the nationwide level of alert “in order to handle any possible scenario, expected or not”.Police were also expected to impose an age limit on worshippers attending the weekly Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s old city.In a statement to mark the day, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Israel’s policy of denying access to land was “at the heart of the conflict”.