Palestinians march on anniversary of uprooting

Thousands of Palestinians have marked the anniversary of their uprooting almost seven decades ago with sirens and low-key marches.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven out in the Mideast war over Israel's 1948 creation. Their descendants now number several million and most still live in the region.

• Israeli soldiers scour social media to stop violence
• OPINION |Let's stop pretending Israel is heading toward a two-state solution: Neil Macdonald

Sirens wailed Monday in the West Bank to mark the passing of 69 years since what Palestinians call their "nakba," or catastrophe. Cars stopped and pedestrians stood still in commemoration.

Marchers waved flags and used keys and other props to symbolize their demand to return to what is now Israel.

Israel says it will never accept a "right of return," arguing it would threaten the state by diluting its Jewish majority.