Al-Azhar Observatory affirms legitimacy of Palestinian struggle on 50th anniversary of Land Day

El-Sayed Gamal El-Din , Tuesday 31 Mar 2026

The Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism marked the 50th anniversary of Palestinian Land Day, saying the occasion reflects the justice of the Palestinians' struggle to defend their legitimate rights and historical land.

Azhar
Al-Azhar Observatory.

 

In a statement, the observatory said that on 30 March each year, Palestinians reaffirm their deep connection to their identity, embodying the highest meanings of resilience in the face of occupation policies aimed at land confiscation and erasing collective memory.

It added that the anniversary dates back to 1976, when Palestinians protested against land seizures in a nationwide uprising marked by the blood of martyrs and the sacrifices of the wounded. That pivotal moment, the statement noted, has since become a symbol of legitimate struggle.

The observatory stressed that Land Day has moved beyond its temporal frame as a historical occasion to become an enduring covenant between people and the land that forms the essence of their identity.

Commemorating the anniversary, it added, reflects a cross-generational determination to uphold rights, preserve heritage, and reinforce values of steadfastness and resilience in the face of unjust practices against the Palestinian people.

Land Day, observed annually on March 30, marks a key moment in Palestinian history, when protests broke out in 1976 against Israeli government plans to expropriate large areas of Arab-owned land in the Galilee.

The demonstrations, particularly in towns like Sakhnin, Arraba, and Deir Hanna, were met with force, resulting in the deaths of six unarmed Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Since then, Land Day has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance, identity, and attachment to land, commemorated through protests, cultural events, and calls for rights both within historic Palestine and across the diaspora.

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