Palestinians held protests across the occupied territories on the 60th anniversary of the "catastrophe" (Nakba) of the birth of Israel on Thursday as the Jewish state's army went on high alert. In the occupied West Bank and Arab east Jerusalem, activists planned to release 21,915 black balloons -- one for each day since Israel's creation in 1948 -- to darken the skies over Jerusalem after a massive midday protest in Ramallah.

"Sixty years ago we were pushed into exodus and suffered an injustice. Today we call upon the world to give our people justice," Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, himself a 1948 refugee, said earlier this week.

Hamas spokesman Abdelatif Qanua said the demonstrators would not march to the heavily fortified crossing of Erez itself but to a customs office some three kilometres from the border with Israel. "This demonstration is not a storming of the border or of the Erez crossing. It's a normal, peaceful demonstration. If the enemy disperses it, it will bear full responsibility for that," Qanua told AFP.

Israeli forces have mobilised to prevent any "provocative acts" and Israel has previously warned Hamas against marching on the border. "The IDF (Israeli military) has concentrated large forces in those areas suspected of demonstrations," Major Avital Leibovich told AFP. The army "is planning to take strong measures against any provocative acts of Hamas that may cause damage to the security of Israel," she stressed.

© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)