Palestinians in Gaza mark 78th Nakba anniversary amid ongoing war
In Gaza, Palestinians are marking the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, which refers to the forced removal of approximately 750,000 Palestinians during the 1948 conflict that led to the establishment of Israel. This year’s remembrance is the third since the onset of the ongoing Gaza war 2.5 years ago. Yusuf Abu Hamam, who escaped from al-Joura as a baby in 1948, highlights that his village has been destroyed and is now beneath parts of Ashqelon and a national park. The Shati Camp, where his family relocated, has suffered extensive damage from Israeli airstrikes. Meanwhile, 83-year-old Mustafa Al-Jazzar, who also fled in 1948, was seen receiving assistance from a boy at a camp in southern Gaza, reflecting on the compounded nature of their displacement.
Key facts
- Palestinians in Gaza mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba on Friday.
- The Nakba refers to the mass expulsion and flight of some 750,000 Palestinians in 1948.
- This is the third Nakba commemoration since the Gaza war began.
- Yusuf Abu Hamam fled the village of al-Joura as an infant in 1948.
- Al-Joura was demolished by the Israeli military and now lies under Ashqelon and a national park.
- The Shati Camp in northern Gaza, where Abu Hamam's family resettled, has been largely destroyed.
- Displaced Palestinian Mustafa Al-Jazzar, 83, fled his hometown in 1948 and now lives in a camp in southern Gaza.
- Some Palestinians say the current catastrophe is greater because displacement has happened multiple times.
Entities
Locations
- Gaza
- Palestine
- Israel
- al-Joura
- Ashqelon
- Shati Camp
- northern Gaza Strip
- southern Gaza Strip