Palestinians mourn 17 killed by Israeli forces in Gaza during Land Day march calling for return of Palestinian refugees.

Funerals have begun for the 17 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces as thousands marched near Gaza’s border with Israel to mark the 42nd anniversary of Land Day.

Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip held the funeral for 30-year-old Sari Abu Odeh late on Friday.

He was shot dead earlier in the day after Israeli forces fired live ammunition at protesters and used tear gas to push them back from a heavily fortified fence as they began a planned six-week demonstration demanding the right of return for refugees.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,400 others were wounded at the demonstration which commemorated Land Day, which stems from March 30, 1976, when six unarmed Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed by Israeli forces during protests against the Israeli government’s decision to expropriate massive tracts of Palestinian-owned land.

Mohammed Najjar, 25, was shot in the stomach during a clash east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, while Mahmoud Muammar, 38, and Mohammed Abu Omar, 22, were both shot dead in Rafah.

Among the other victims were Ahmed Odeh, 19, Jihad Freneh, 33, Mahmoud Saadi Rahmi, 33, Abdelfattah Abdelnabi, 22, Ibrahim Abu Shaar, 20, Abdelqader al-Hawajiri, Sari Abu Odeh, Hamdan Abu Amsheh, Jihad Abu Jamous, Bader al-Sabbagh and Naji Abu Hjair, whose ages remain unknown.

Earlier on Friday, Omar Waheed Abu Samour, a farmer from Gaza, was also killed by Israeli artillery fire while standing in his land near Khan Younis, just hours before the demonstrations.

Funerals for the rest of those killed are set to take place throughout the day on Saturday.

In honour of those killed, the Palestinian Authority declared Saturday a day of “national mourning”.

“Schools, universities, as well as all government institutions, across the country will be off on Saturday, as per President Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to declare a day of national mourning for the souls of the martyrs,” a statement issued on Friday said.

Adalah, a legal centre for Palestinian rights in Israel, condemned the Israeli army’s use of force, calling it a “brutal violation” of international law.

“Live gunfire on unarmed civilians constitutes a brutal violation of the international legal obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants,” the group said in a statement.

It also said that it would launch an investigation to “demand that those found responsible for the killings be brought to justice”.

WATCH: Land Day – Palestinians protesting the expropriation of their land (2:40)
Yara Mahamid, a student from Gaza told Al Jazeera, that Israeli aggression wouldn’t deter Palestinians from protesting.

“We came to commemorate Land Day because we have to confront the [Israeli] state.

“We came out to remember our martyrs and to reclaim ownership of our land. We will resist until our last breath. We shouldn’t negotiate anymore. We shouldn’t give up our rights,” she said.

This year’s Land Day comes on the heels of months of anger over US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem.

It is widely expected the US will be transferring its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in the run-up to the Nakba, “day of catastrophe”, on May 15, when Israel was officially declared a state and more than 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes.

Aljazeera

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi has said that the perception in Pakistan that Iran’s Chabahar Port project, that connects India to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, is a “rival project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)”, is not correct.

“The Chabahar Port project is aimed at connecting Iran with Central Asia, and the ultimate goal is to uplift the Iranian economy,” Kharazi said at an event here. The project was under deliberation for a long time, therefore, it was not correct to link its launch with that of the CPEC, he was cited as saying by Dawn online on Saturday.

India, Iran and Afghanistan signed a trilateral agreement in 2016 to jointly develop the Chabahar Port, opening a new strategic transit route between the three nations and other Central Asian nations, bypassing Pakistan.

On the other hand, the CPEC connects China’s Kashgar in Xinjiang province with Pakistan’s Gwadar port in Balochistan through a network of roads, railways and highways.

India strongly objects to the route of the CPEC corridor, which goes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Kharazi, Iran’s Foreign Minister from 1997 to 2005, said that though it was true that India had massively invested in the Chabahar project, it was an open platform for all regional countries to participate in.

“While we are engaging with India on the economic front and India is investing in Chabahar, we have not given exclusive rights on the project to them,” he said.

Talking about the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, Kharazi said that Iran had “urged India a number of times to resolve the dispute in a peaceful and justly manner” and that Tehran was even willing to mediate between the two sides.

“But if we talk about economic partnerships, then Pakistan also has relations with the US which has put a number of sanctions on us, but (Iran) doesn’t mind it,” he said.

He pointed out that bilateral trade between Iran and Pakistan suffered over reluctance of Pakistani banks to do business with Iranian entities due to a fear of US sanctions.

Kharazi said that another issue that had negatively impacted the bilateral trade was the “lack of political will from Pakistani side due to intense pressure from Washington and middle-eastern countries”.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama got emotional on Saturday as he embraced one of the five Assam Rifles troopers, Naren Chandra Das, who escorted him in India after his escape from Tibet.

In 1959, as a young trooper Das, now 80, escorted the Dalai Lama, now 82, on his arrival in Arunachal Pradesh. Dalai Lama has lived in exile ever since fleeing Tibet in March 1959.

“I feel blessed once again as His Holiness touched me and bumped his head with my head,” Das told reporters after he was honoured by the leader at an event in Dharamsala to mark the 60th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s arrival in India.

Das said he was overwhelmed by the gesture of His Holiness for inviting him. The event marked the onset of a year-long ‘Thank You India’ campaign.

Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, Members of Parliament Shanta Kumar and Satyavrat Chaturvedi were also present in the event along with functionalities of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), comprising its President Lobsang Sangay.

In 2017, Das was reunited with the Dalai Lama for the first time in 58 years at a festival organised by the Assam government.

Das, who joined the force in 1957, said he was told to escort the Dalai Lama along with others. “We were directed only to escort the Dalai Lama and not to speak with him,” said Das.

He was then posted at Lungla near the China border after having completed his training at Tawang in the then North East Frontier Agency, now Arunachal Pradesh, he said.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Communist rule in Tibet.

The Dubai Public Prosecution has directed the Dubai Police to initiate criminal proceedings against five people, for spreading false information about Kalyan Jewellers.

All the five accused are of Indian origin and face charges of cyber crime and abuse using the internet or social media platform. The action was initiated based on a complaint filed by the company in November last year, following a series of posts online, that attacked the brand.

The action comes in the wake of several false social media posts that claimed that the gold sold by the jewellery brand was fake. One version of the post claimed that owners of Kalyan Jewellers in Dubai, was arrested for selling fake gold ornaments.

According to Kalyan Jewellers, one of the five people under the scanner, has during the course of the investigation, admitted that he had logged in and slandered the company.

Even as Dubai police started investigation on the complaint, recently, more fake posts were circulated on social media, especially on WhatsApp. A latest post that is being widely circulated along with an invoice of purchase accused the jeweller of mixing wax in huge proportion in antique jewellery.

Brands must take social media slandering seriously

Speaking to TNM, Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director of Kalyan Jewellers, said that the brand takes social media slandering seriously and was particular that they would respond through a legal channel.

“The first thing which we did when the social media attack started was to counter it on our own accounts and post the truth there. Then we complained to the police and we were waiting for the end result. Today, we have got a confirmation from the Dubai police,” he said.

Saying that when it comes to purchasing gold, customers are always concerned about what they buy, Ramesh said:

“Customers spend time in ensuring that the gold they purchase is pure. With regard to antique jewellery, people are well aware that a certain quantity of wax is used and this is mentioned in the invoice. But even so, when such a fake message questioning the purity of the jewellery is shared online, fear is created. That is not only going to affect the brand, but also the industry. That’s why we reacted fast in India,” he said.

Saying that it is extremely important for brands to clear the air as soon as possible when false information about the brand begins to circulate, Ramesh said, “Unfortunately, brands can clear the air only in their own official social media pages. But that does not get shared as much as a post meant to defame the brand. People should exercise caution when they receive these kind of posts,” he said.

Commenting on the development, Chairman and Managing Director of Kalyan Jewellers TS Kalyanaraman said:

“It is very reassuring to see the steps taken by the Dubai Police to contain social media abusers. Perpetrators should know that social media slandering will not be taken lightly. A brand’s reputation is built over years by the contribution and hard work of many people. Such instances of fake propaganda by a few irresponsible individuals, is an attempt to tarnish the

image and reputation of brands. These acts have deep impact on the emotions of all those associated with the brand and the company. I thank the UAE’s legal system and the Dubai Police for taking strict measures in preventing cybercrimes and establishing the truth in such situations.”