Palestinians mark Nakba amid mass displacement in Gaza and West Bank

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories: Palestinians on Wednesday commemorated their displacement during the creation of Israel, saying that history was be...

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories: Palestinians on Wednesday commemorated their displacement during the creation of Israel, saying that history was being repeated today in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Tens of thousands have been killed in Gaza and an aid blockade threatens famine, while Israeli leaders continue to express a desire to empty the territory of Palestinians as part of the war that began on October 7, 2023. 

In the West Bank, too, occupied since 1967, Israeli forces have displaced tens of thousands from refugee camps as part of a major military operation. This year marks the 77th anniversary of the Nakba -- "catastrophe" in Arabic -- which refers to the flight and expulsion of an estimated 700,000 Palestinians during the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian flags and black ones branded "return" flew at road intersections, while schoolchildren were bussed into the city centre to take part in the weeklong commemoration.

At one event, young boys wearing Palestinian kuffiyeh scarves waved flags and carried a giant replica key, a symbol of the lost homes in what is now Israel that families hope to return to. No events were planned in Gaza, where more than 19 months of war and Israeli bombardment have left residents destitute.