Nakba: ‘Day of Catastrophe’ observed by Palestinians 

For seven decades, Palestinians have commemorated the Nakba, or “Catastrophe, when the ethnic cleansing of more than 700,000 Palestinians took place along with the destruction of more than 500 villages.

The Nakba commemoration this year marked 70 years of dispossession of the refugees – now numbering in the millions – who are still waiting for their right of return.

The commemoration occurred a day after the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem, which triggered protests across the country.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces killed more than 60 people and wounded thousands of others after opening live fire and shooting tear gas canisters at the protesters.

In the West Bank village of Budrus, residents walked towards the Israeli separation barrier calling for the right of return.

Community organiser Ayed Morrar told Al Jazeera the protest was organised “to show support to the people who were killed in cold blood yesterday in the Gaza Strip”.

“We also protested to refuse the US decision to transfer the embassy to Jerusalem, because Jerusalem is our capital,” Morrar said. “Our right to return to our homes is still alive, and we will never forget it.”

After some Palestinian youth managed to break down parts of the separation barrier, Israeli soldiers began firing tear gas.

Soldiers then entered the village cemetery and began shooting rubber-coated steel bullets at the Palestinian stone-throwers.

In Ramallah, several Palestinians were wounded, including a medic, after the Israeli army fired live ammunition, tear gas, and rubber-coated steel rounds.