Gaza terrorists with domestic missile (illustration)
Gaza terrorists with domestic missile (illustration)Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash 90

Hamas on Wednesday called to "saturate" the ground in blood during a large ceremony held on the border of Gaza for "Land Day," in the 40th annual marking of the event.

Arab citizens of Israel for their part held a general strike, protesting how the Israeli government took control of land in the Negev and Galilee in 1976, demolishing illegal Arab buildings and evacuating communities established illegally by Arab squatters. In the ensuing riots a number of Arabs were killed.

Yahi Musa, a senior Hamas official, was present at the ceremony on the border with Israel on Wednesday which launched off a series of "Land Day" events in Gaza, according to the Hamas paper Palestine.

At the ceremony, participants held signs bearing messages such as: "the land isn't for sale," "on Land Day we stand firm on our land," and "we remain here as long as the za'atar and olive tree exist."

Musa spoke at the event about the need to reject the notion of a political solution and normalization with Israel, and called on all the Palestinian organizations to adopt a path based on the "struggle" as the only way to "return the rights."

"Our nation is still loyal to the oath to return to its occupied land and villages," said Musa.

"Without saturating the land in blood it won't be possible to return the homeland," added the official of the terror organization, who said the ceremony was held on the border with Israel to symbolize the hopes of "liberating" the land.