Palestinians rally in West Bank to commemorate Nakba

By Qays Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Hundreds of Palestinians on Monday staged demonstrations in Ramallah city in the occupied West Bank to protest the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The protests began at Yasser Arafat square in the central part of the city to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nakba Day and marched toward the Qalandia checkpoint located between Ramallah and Jerusalem.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mohamed Alyan a coordinator of the national high committee to commemorate the Nakba Day, said the rallies aim to underline the Palestinian right of Jerusalem as a capital for an independent Palestinian state.

“The right to return and our right in Jerusalem will never be given up,” he said. “The U.S. administration officially declares itself a part of the Israeli occupation.”

Similar rallies are underway in all Palestinian provinces across the West Bank.

The U.S. Embassy is expected to be relocated later in the day from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which coincides with the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment -- an event Palestinians refer to as the "Nakba" or "the Catastrophe".