Yesterday, Palestinians marked the 75th Nakba “catastrophe” – their forced expulsion from their homeland. Every year on May 15, Palestinians worldwide mark the event, which many refer to as the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948. The United Nations (UN) commemorated the Nakba at UN Headquarters in New York for the first time.
The Nakba was triggered when the State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948, when the British Mandate expired in the area, leading to the first Arab-Israeli war. Around 750,000 Palestinians were reportedly expelled from their homes and lands, of which 78% were captured. The remaining 22% was divided into the currently occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Today, Israel continues its oppression of Palestinians with its expansion policies of settlements. It affects services they can access, where they can travel, and where they can live. Jobs are scarce, and the threat of escalation of violence is constant.
According to the UN, 5.9 million Palestinian refugees live in the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
To remember the day and a rallying call for Palestinians, the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a letter addressed to the high-level meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, cited the increased violence against the Palestinians in recent months and the occupation’s persistent disregard for resolutions by the UN and the international community’s consensus on the illegality of the occupation. In the letter, the Amir expressed Qatar’s strong condemnation and denunciation of any attempts to Judaise Jerusalem and change its Arab, Islamic and Christian identity while condemning measures against the Al Aqsa Mosque.
The Amir noted that Qatar is committed to supporting the brotherly Palestinian people who adhere to their rights and have been steadfast since the Nakba, keeping the keys to their ancestral homes that were stolen from them and confident of returning to their country and land.
Meanwhile, during a speech marking the Nakba yesterday, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called for Israel to end its “aggression” against Palestinians or be suspended from the UN. The Palestinian leader lamented how the occupation has failed to implement around 1000 resolutions adopted by the UNGA, Security Council and Human Rights Council.
Amidst the struggles, it is essential to remember that the Nakba doesn’t just represent a historical phenomenon; the process continues today and is yet to stop.
