Palestinians Cancel Great March Return

Gaza, MINA – The National High Commission for Great March Retrun Action announced on Friday that Palestinians had canceled their weekly peaceful protests along the Gaza-Israel border.

“The national commission for the March of Return has called for a delay in the march,” a brief statement, MEMO reported.

The commission said this was an effort to maintain calm in the Gaza Strip and prevent an escalation after Israeli occupation forces bombed 100 sites in the besieged enclave last night.

He added this was also in preparation for larger protests to be held on March 30, one year after the Great March Return was first launched.

This is the first time the march has been stopped since it was launched 51 weeks ago.

Since Palestinians in Gaza began taking action in March last year, more than 250 demonstrators were killed and thousands more were wounded by gunfire by Israeli soldiers.

Demonstrators demanded the right of Palestinian refugees to return to the homes where they were expelled in 1948, to give way to the creation of a new Israeli state.

They also demanded end to the 12-year blockade of Israel in the Gaza Strip, which has wiped out the coastal enclave’s economy and seized around two million people from many basic commodities. (T/Sj/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)