The Nakba

The Nakba, or catastrophe, refers to the mass expulsion of nearly one million Palestinians in 1948, which set the stage for their continued ethnic cleansing, displacement, and dispossession at the hands of Israel. Forced to march by foot or using boats, some Palestinian refugees sought refuge in neighboring Arab countries, and others were internally displaced.

Palestinians refer to the Nakba as an ongoing process due to Israel’s constant expansionism and forced displacements of Palestinians. Other chapters in what is often described as the "ongoing Nakba" include: the June 1967 war, in which Israel ethnically cleansed 300,000 Palestinians; Israel's ongoing settlement expansion, in which Palestinian land is stolen; and Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, where virtually all Palestinians living in the territory have endured multiple displacements.