March 30th marks the 44th anniversary of the “Land Day” in Palestine. Forty-four years ago in 1948, the Palestinians rose up against the Zionist Regime to take back their homeland.
On March 30th, 1976, the Israeli authorities seized thousands of hectares of Palestinian lands in the al-Jalil district located in the north of occupied Palestine. Following this criminal act, the Palestinians went on a hunger strike and held demonstrations. Therefore, a general strike was declared on the same day which led to severe clashes between the Palestinians and the Israeli military. Six Palestinians were martyred and thousands were injured.
The Palestinian People, both in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, and even in the refugee camps commemorate March 30th to honor the Martyrs of 1976 and hold Anti-Israeli demonstrations. It can be noted that the Palestinian protests on the Land day were the first challenge for the Zionist Regime in 1948. Therefore, the Israelis launched military aggression and reoccupied the Palestinian villages.
Even 44 years later, the Palestinian nation still commemorates the Land day as it marks a turning point in the path of establishing the Palestinian identity since the occupation of Palestine in the year 1948. This year, the Islamic Jihad movement also issued a statement on the 44th anniversary of Land Day and noted, “On this day, we proudly honor the Martyrs and their sacrifices.”
The statement also says, “We value the great and valuable sacrifices of Palestinian nation which have been made to establish their own rights and protect the true identity of their land. We are obliged to stand against all the conspiracies that have targeted the rights and principles of the Palestinian people.”
“Today we announce that the so-called Deal of the Century is completely rejected and we will use all our capacities to counter it. We also condemn all the efforts made by some Arab countries to normalize relations with the Zionist regime. The Islamic Jihad movement calls for anti-Zionist measures such as sanctions by various parties.” The statement added.
According to the statement, the occupation of Palestine is the most significant issue for all the Muslims and Arabs and the efforts and sacrifices made by the Palestinians will remain eternal in history.
The International Union of Youth Against Occupation also released a statement on the Land Day and maintained that Resistance is the only option to liberate Palestine.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the Zionist Regime has seized over 85 percent of the Palestinian territory and thousands of Palestinians have been martyred due to Israeli military aggression. However, the Palestinian nations still emphasize on commemorating Land Day since it is a symbol of their perseverance and dedication for the recognition of their rights.
MNA/ 4889118