Yesterday, Palestinians marked Land Day by protesting against the Israeli land confiscations with demonstrations in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan. This year, the protests were also supported by a solidarity campaign known as the Global March to Jerusalem, where Palestinians and allies marched to the Israeli controlled borders of the occupied Palestinians territories. The largest march on the border was in Jordan with between 20,000 and 30,000 protestors, and in Lebanon between 2,000-3,000 marched. In Egypt, the demonstration was cancelled after the state military stopped protestors from joining the march, which would have approached the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military and police attempted to disperse the protestors, aggressively using crowd dispersal and projectiles, including live ammunition. In Gaza, Israeli fire killed 20-year-old Mahmoud Zakot, and hundreds were injured in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces.

The West Bank

Across the West Bank, demonstrations took place with reports of excessive Israeli force, including water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets. Additionally, a Long Range Acoustic Device, a sound machine emitting high-frequency noise, and a machine spraying a “skunk” smelling liquid were used on protestors. The Red Crescent counted over 200 people were injured in Qalandia alone, with 85 from rubber bullets. Between 14 and 34 were arrested in Jerusalem, but the total number of arrests is still unknown.

Major protest were held in the cities of Bethlehem, Beit Ummar, Budrus, Jerusalem, Kfar Kadum, Nabi Saleh, Nablus, , Ni’lin, Qalandia, and Safa.



Israeli border police use pepper spray on Palestinian protestor, near Jerusalem. (Photo: Ammar Awad/Reuters)



Qalandia (Photo: Majdi Mohammed/AP)



Palestinian sprayed by Israeli police, Qalandia. (Photo: Abbas Momani/AFP)



Israeli police on horseback suppress demonstrators near the Damascus Gate, Jerusalem. (Photo: Sebastian Scheiner/AP)



Palestinian man dragged by Israeli forces near the Damascus Gate, Jerusalem. (Photo: Reuters)



A Palestinian climbs the wall at a checkpoint, Bethlehem. (Photo: Nasser Shiyoukhi/AP)

Gaza

Near the Erez crossing in Gaza, Israeli forces used fired water cannons, tear gas and live ammunition into crowds of demonstrating Palestinians, resulting in the death of 20-year-old Mahmoud Zakot. In response, Palestinians threw rocks, burned tires and set fire to an Israeli security tower. Protestors in Gaza also participated in the Global March to Jerusalem.



The funeral of 20-year-old Mahmoud Zako, Gaza. (Photo:Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

The Global March to Jerusalem in Gaza



Arabic trans. “Global March to Jerusalem,” Gaza. (Photo: Joe Catron)



Demonstrators praying, Gaza. (Photo: Joe Catron)



Demonstrators marching, Gaza. (Photo: Joe Catron)



Gaza. (Photo: Joe Catron)



Land Day demonstrators, Gaza. (Photo: Julie Webb-Pullman)



Land Day demonstrators, Gaza. (Photo: Julie Webb-Pullman)



Gaza. (Photo: Joe Catron)



Gaza. (Photo: Joe Catron)

Lebanon

In Lebanon, between 2,000 and 3,000 protestors amassed in Arnoun near the Crusade-era Beaufort castle located nine miles from the Israeli border.



Palestinian youth dancing in near the Beaufort castle 9 miles from the Israeli border, Arnoun, Lebanon. (Photo: Mohammed Zaatari/AP)



Children near Beaufort castle, Arnun, Lebanon. (Photo: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)

Israel

In Israel, demonstrators gathered in the Northern villages of Sakhnin, Araba, and Dier Hanna. On Land Day, Sakhnin holds a special significance, as it is the site of the first Land Day protest in 1976. Today, there is a monument in the village by Palestinian artist Abed Abdi, commemorating the six Palestinians who were at the march by killed by Israeli forces



Palestinians demonstration near Haifa, Araba, Israel. (Photo: Jack Guez/AFP)