CRI听力:Pro-Palestinian Protesters Clash with Israeli Army on Naksa Day

Hundreds of Pro-Palestinian protesters have taken to the streets for this year's Naksa day, demonstrating against Israel's occupation, leaving scores of people hurt in clashes with the Israeli army.

CRI Jerusalem correspondent Wang Qian has more:

Naksa Day is the anniversary of the six-day 1967 Arab-Israeli War, which saw Israel seize control of the Golan Heights, the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and northern Sinai.

Hundreds of Palestinians have marched in cities in the Western Bank.

In Ramallah, the protesters have waved Palestinian flags and shouted slogans.

The Israeli army eventually dispersed the crowd with tear gas, leaving dozens of protesters hurt.

Meanwhile, along the Syrian border with the Golan Heights, demonstrators have lobbed Molotov cocktails, drawing a response from the Israeli army, which was there to try to prevent the crowds from crossing the border.

A number of demonstrators have been killed after accidentally setting off anti-tank mines along the border.

Syrian television is reporting that 22 demonstrators are dead, and more than 300 others have been hurt in the fighting.

The Israeli army is refusing to give any casualty figures.

Israeli army spokesperson Avital Leibowitz.
 
"Despite several verbal warnings to the Syrians on the other side of the borders, despite warning shots that were fired to the air, still we found ourselves in a situation which an angered mob from the Syrian side tried to reach the fence between Israel and Syria. Therefore, we had to use the legitimate option of firing toward the feet in order to try and prevent any infiltrations as we have seen two weeks ago in Nakba Day."

Meanwhile, the Israeli side is accusing Iran of stirring up the demonstrations.

The Israelis also say the Syrian government is also encouraging the demonstrations to try to deflect attention from its own domestic problems.

The demonstrations are drawing wide support in the Arab world.

"The whole world needs to know that the 43 years of occupation, after the events that took place on May 15, have revealed the deep feelings and the deep wounds in which we hope to mend with the victory and the return of our refugee brethren and their return to the homeland Syria."

Tensions following the Naksa Day demonstrations now appear to be easing, though the Israeli army is still on high alert along its borders.

For CRI, this is Wangqian from Jerusalem.