GAZA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian organizers of the anti-Israeli protests in the Gaza Strip said Thursday that the weekly Great March of Return will be held on a monthly basis starting next year.
In an emailed press statement, the National Commission of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Israeli Siege in the Gaza Strip said that the weekly protests, held on every Friday along the Gaza-Israeli border since late March last year, will be organized monthly in next year.
On Friday, the last weekly March of Return in 2019 will be organized, said the commission, which comprises of the representatives of different Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, left-wing groups and other minor factions.
The decision was made amid unofficial reports that there has been progress in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007.
"The decision was made following rounds of dialogues and debates that have been going on for several weeks," the commission said in the statement.
From now until March 30, the Palestinian Land Day, the Palestinian factions will be preparing for "new methods and plans of struggle against Israel," it added.
The march of return aims to assert the Palestinians' right of return to their homeland and to pressure Israel to end the blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007.
Palestinian Health Ministry said that, since the start of the protests which usually lead to violent clashes with Israeli forces along the Gaza-Israeli border, a total of 313 Palestinians, including 61 children and 12 women, have been killed so far.
