Rallies staged in Gaza, WB for day of anger

Thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank took to the streets on Tuesday, pledging to protect the occupied city of al-Quds against the Israeli regime’s attacks.

“With our blood, with our souls, we sacrifice for you, Al-Quds,” the crowds, most of them students, chanted.

The protests came at calls by Hamas Resistance movement that earlier declared Tuesday a “day of anger” against Israeli regime, a day after the regime reopened a synagogue in the occupied east Al-Quds.

Violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli regime soldiers were reported on Tuesday in several parts of occupied east al-Quds.

The regime’s soldiers fired rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at Palestinians who hurled stones in several neighborhoods.

The regime spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed that15 Palestinians were arrested.

A few hundred meters (yards) from the Qalandia checkpoint between Israel and the West Bank, dozens of Palestinian youths hurled stones at the regime’s soldiers who fired rubber bullets.

As the unrest rocked al-Quds, US Middle East envoy George Mitchell delayed a visit to the region amid the most severe diplomatic row in decades between Israeli regime and its staunch ally, the United States.

Israel’s announcement last week of plans to build 1,600 new Jewish settler homes in occupied East al-Quds infuriated not only the Palestinians, but also the US administration which had sent Vice President Joe Biden to the region to promote new Middle East peace talks.

Mitchell postponed a visit to the region that was to start on Tuesday, the US embassy said.

The reopening of a synagogue in occupied east al-Quds on Monday further fuelled tensions.

Leader of Hamas political bureau Khaled Meshaal slammed the move as “a falsification of history,” and warned it could cause the Middle East to “explode.”

“Israel is playing with fire and touching off the first spark to make the region explode,” he said.

“We warn against this action by the Zionist enemy to rebuild and dedicate the Hurva synagogue. It signifies the destruction of the Al-Aqsa mosque and the building of the temple,” he added.

Hatem Abdel Qader, who oversees Al-Quds affairs for Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah, said: “This is not just a synagogue.”

“This synagogue will be a prelude to violence, extremism and religious fanaticism, and that will not be limited to extremist Jews” but includes members of the Israeli occupying regime.