Palestine Celebrates Land Day on March 30, 1976

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March 30 marks the anniversary of Land Day, a commemoration of events that took place on March 30, 1976. On this day, six unarmed Palestinians were killed and over 100 were injured during protests against Israel’s land confiscations. The protests were sparked by plans to seize approximately 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) of land in the Galilee region.

The land confiscation was part of a broader Israeli state policy aimed at Jewish settlement in the area. The affected areas included Palestinian towns such as Sakhnin, Arrabeh, and Deir Hanna. According to estimates, the confiscated land is roughly equivalent in size to 3,000 football pitches or an area spanning from Manhattan to Central Park in New York.

Each year on March 30, Palestinians mark Land Day by holding protests, vigils, and planting olive trees to reaffirm their connection to the land. The events are often met with force from Israeli authorities. In recent years, protests have been held globally to commemorate this day.

In addition to these commemorations, Israel has continued to seize large swaths of Palestinian land under various labels, including military zones and state land. Most recently, on February 8, 2026, the Israeli security cabinet approved measures to expand its powers across the occupied West Bank. These measures include easing the sale of Palestinian land to Israeli settlers and expanding authorities’ powers in areas under Palestinian control.

Rights groups have condemned these actions as “de facto annexation” and a “deliberate and direct attack” on the viability of a Palestinian state. According to Peace Now, an Israeli anti-settlement group, Israel approved 12,349 housing units in 2023, 9,884 in 2024, and 27,941 in 2025.

In December, the Israeli security cabinet approved plans to formalize 19 illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank. Many of these settlements will be located in densely populated Palestinian areas, further limiting movement and threatening the viability of a future Palestinian state. The number of settler attacks has risen sharply in recent years, with 1,828 recorded in 2025.

The United Nations reports that at least 1,094 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops and settlers in the West Bank since October 2023.

Source: Al Jazeera