Hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday rallied in Gaza City to mark the anniversary of a 1967 Mideast war in which Israel defeated five Arab armies and seized the occupied territories.
Palestinians mark the Naksa, or 1967 setback, each year on June 5 with large rallies across the occupied territories. Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the war.
Joined by representatives and leaders of Palestinian factions, a rally kicked off at the Square of the Unknown Soldier in the center of Gaza City and moved to a UN building where they handed a letter to UN officers.
Demonstrators raised posters calling for national unity and the implementation of the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their lands, from which they were forcibly displaced.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri delivered a speech during the rally urging Palestinian factions to stick to resistance as "the only means to get rid of occupation and to secure the right of return."
Similarly, member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leadership Kayid al-Ghoul urged the Palestinians to end the state of disagreement and adopt a united policy based on struggle against occupation.
Fatah spokesman in the Gaza Strip Fayiz Abu Eitah also delivered a speech and urged the Palestinians to hold fast to the dream of statehood and to geographic unity.
In the same regard, the Islamic-Christian Commission for the Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites highlighted in a statement that the Naksa is still ongoing as Jerusalem's residents are being displaced every day, and homes are either demolished and occupied by extremist settlers.
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