Middle East
Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 12:32 pm

Photo by APAimages/Rex Features / AP
Israeli soldiers stand in front of Palestinian and foreign activists during a demonstration on the 64th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel, at the Hawara checkpoint outside Nablus, West Bank, on Tuesday.

Photo by Majdi Mohammed / AP
A masked Palestinian hurls a stone at Israeli troops during clashes outside the Ofer military prison, near the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday, amid nakba demonstrations.
This week, Palestinian prisoners ended a mass hunger strike aimed at improving their conditions in Israeli prisons after reaching a deal with Israeli authorities. The success of the collective action in wresting concessions from Israel has some Palestinians calling for a greater emphasis on nonviolence in their opposition to Israeli policies.
Palestinians were out in force this week, marking what they call the nakba, or "great catastrophe" of the founding of the state of Israel. It's traditionally a day of mourning in the Palestinian areas, where women wear black to mark the destruction of Palestinian villages, the loss of property and the great exodus that created a vast refugee population in the region.
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