In Jerusalem, Israeli nationalists chanted “Death to Arabs” and “May your villages burn” on Thursday as they joined a state-sponsored march near the Damascus Gate in the Old City to mark the 59th anniversary of Israel’s capture and annexation of East Jerusalem. Several journalists were harassed and assaulted as mobs of Israelis attacked Palestinians in Jerusalem’s Muslim Quarter, vandalizing storefronts and throwing items at bystanders.

This comes as the U.N. Children’s Fund said Thursday Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed 70 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since early 2025, amounting to around one child killed per week. Another 850 children were injured by Israeli attacks during that period. This is UNICEF spokesperson James Elder.

James Elder: “March 2026 saw the highest number of Palestinians injured by settler attacks in the last 20 years, and we’re seeing attacks become increasingly coordinated. So, documented incidents include children shot, stabbed, children beaten and children pepper-sprayed.” 

Today, Palestinians around the world are commemorating “Nakba Day.” Nakba means “the catastrophe” in Arabic. It was 78 years ago that over 750,000 Palestinians were violently displaced and dispossessed from hundreds of towns and villages in Palestine, and thousands more killed, during the creation of the state of Israel. After headlines, we’ll speak with Muhammad Shehada, writer and analyst from Gaza.