Every year on March 30, Palestinians observe Land Day, or Yom al-Ard, recalling the events of 50 years ago when on March 30, 1976, six unarmed Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, and more than 100 were injured during protests against Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian land.Israel ordered the confiscation of 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) of land belonging to Palestinian citizens of Israel in the Galilee. These plans were part of Israeli state policy to Judaise Galilee following the creation of the State of Israel.While the land confiscations affected the entire Galilee, the heart of the 1976 protests was in the Palestinian towns of Sakhnin, Arrabeh and Deir Hanna.The confiscated land is roughly the size of 3,000 football pitches or the area from the southern tip of Manhattan to the start of Central Park in New York, United States. What do Palestinians do on Land Day?Palestinians, both in Israel and across the occupied Palestinian territory — the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem — mark this day by holding protests and vigils and planting olive trees to reaffirm their connection to the land. The protests are often met with brutal use of force by Israel.Protest marches are also planned in cities around the world on Monday to mark the 50th anniversary. Palestinian wom …
