Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations    

    GAZA/RAMALLAH, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza on Thursday marked the 60th anniversary of al-Nakba, meaning Catastrophe Day--the day the state of Israel was established on what they hold dear as the territories of historic Palestine.

    A central rally was held in downtown the city of Ramallah, where thousands of Palestinians waved Palestinian flags and held banners calling for solving the Palestinian cause and stressing onthe Palestinian refugees' rights of return.

A Palestinian man reacts on the border between Lebanon and Israel during a protest near the Lebanese village Marwahin May 14, 2008. Palestinians mark Nakba, or "Catastrophe", commemorating when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled or fled from their homes in the war that led to the founding of Israel in 1948.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    At 12:00 midday local time (0900 GMT), sirens wailed in the city of Ramallah and other West Bank cities for two minutes to mark the al-Nakba day. No siren was heard in the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Hamas movement.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made a speech to mark the day, where he stressed on the Palestinian refugees' rights of return and the rights of establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

    "In this anniversary, the Nakba day, we call on Israel to respond to the calls of achieving a just and comprehensive peace and reach a historic reconciliation between the two peoples, " Abbas said in his speech.

    In northern Gaza Strip, Hamas police clashed with dozens of Palestinians who came to mark the 60th anniversary of al-Nakba dayin Jabalia refugee camp, according to Fatah movement sources.

    The sources said that at least 10 Palestinians were beaten by Hamas police, while several people were detained, adding that Hamas police forces closed an area devoted for holding a rally to mark the al-Nakba day in Jabalia.