Arab group: Prepare for 2nd round of protest

The organization committee that initiated the "Nakba Day return processions to Palestine" last week announced Saturday the second round of pro-Palestinian rallies against Israel, to be held on June 5 –the day marking the start of the 1967 Six-Day War.

In a statement distributed on social networks, the organization called on Palestinians living abroad to fly to Israeli airports, and encouraged Palestinian refugees to gather near the borders of Israel and its neighboring countries.

The organizers stressed that they are not calling for a third intifada, and insisted that protesters do not carry arms. According to the statement, the organizers urged protesters to avoid violence and only carry Palestinian flags.

The organizing committee claimed the previous processions created "embarrassment and confusion" in Israel, saying the marches will continue "until the refugees can return to Haifa, Jaffa and Ashkelon, and the other cities in which they lived until 1948.

"The 'Nakba Day' procession was not a one-time event, but rather a new phase in the Palestinians' historic struggle," added the organizers, who demanded that the United Nations assume responsibility for the safety of the refugees and see that they return to their homes, as stipulated in Resolution 194.

The organizers also urged Israel to avoid cracking down on the processions, and expressed hope that its neighboring countries will not stop protesters trying to cross the border into Israel.

During the weekend, IDF prepared for the renewal of protests, declaring the northern Golan Heights as a closed military area.

However, the other side of the border remained calm, after four Syrian citizens were killed and dozens injured on Sunday, after they infiltrated the border at the Druze village of Majdal Shams.

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