77 years of Nakba, history repeats itself: What is Nakba and why Palestinians say it’s happening again

Dubai: Seventy-seven years after the Nakba — the mass displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948 — many Palestinians assert that history is repeating itself.

On May 15, they commemorate the anniversary of that catastrophe amid renewed devastation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

In Gaza, more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023.

Approximately 1.9 million people, nearly 90 per cent of Gaza’s population, have been displaced at least once during the conflict.

An Israeli blockade has severely restricted the flow of humanitarian aid, leading to widespread food insecurity.

In the occupied West Bank, under Israeli control since 1967, at least 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced due to Israeli military operations, particularly since the launch of Operation “Iron Wall” in January 2024, according to UNRWA.

“The Nakba never ended — it just continues,” says Moamen Al Sherbini, a resident of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. “Our lives have become one long Nakba — losing loved ones, our homes destroyed, our livelihoods gone,” he told AFP.

The Nakba — Arabic for “catastrophe” — refers to the expulsion or flight of an estimated 700,000 Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that accompanied Israel’s founding. Many of those refugees and their descendants still live in camps across the region, barred from returning to their ancestral homes.

“This is a miserable day in the lives of Palestinian refugees,” says 52-year-old Nael Nakhleh in Ramallah, whose family fled Al Majdal near Jaffa in 1948.

Like millions of other Palestinians, he continues to demand the right of return to land now within Israel.

That demand — enshrined in UN Resolution 194 — remains one of the most contentious and unresolved issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a conflict that, after 77 years, shows no sign of resolution.

What is Nakba?

Nakba means “catastrophe”. It refers to the mass displacement of Palestinian Arabs that followed the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. For Palestinians, the Nakba marks not just a historical moment but an ongoing struggle for land, identity and rights.

Origins of Nakba (Late 1800s – 1948)

Zionism emerges: In the late 19th century, Jewish nationalism (Zionism) began advocating for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire.

British mandate (1917–1948): After WWI, Britain took control of Palestine. The 1917 Balfour Declaration supported a Jewish homeland, igniting tensions between Jews and Arabs.

Jewish immigration increases: Between 1920–1947, large waves of Jewish immigrants arrived in Palestine, many fleeing European antisemitism and Nazi persecution.

UN partition plan (1947): The UN proposed dividing Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. Jews accepted the plan; Arabs rejected it as unjust and dispossessing.

Israel declared (May 14, 1948): One day before the British left, Israel declared independence.

Arab-Israeli War (1948): Israel seizes more territory than the UN plan had allocated.

Nakba begins: Over 750,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled from their homes. More than 400 Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed or depopulated.

Palestinian refugees: These people and their descendants remain stateless, many in refugee camps across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank.

No Palestinian state: After the war, Israel controlled 78 per cent of historical Palestine. The West Bank was annexed by Jordan; Gaza was administered by Egypt.

Palestinian identity forms: Exile and loss fostered a strong sense of Palestinian national identity.

PLO founded (1964): The Palestine Liberation Organisation was created to reclaim Palestinian rights.

War in June 1967: Israel occupied the:

West Bank (from Jordan)

Gaza Strip (from Egypt)

East Jerusalem (including Al Aqsa Mosque)

Golan Heights (from Syria)

Over 300,000 more Palestinians were displaced.

The occupation continues to this day in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Lebanon War (1982): Israel invaded Lebanon to expel the PLO, which relocated to Tunisia.

First Intifada - Uprising (1987–1993): A grassroots Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza demanding freedom from Israeli occupation.

Recognition: In 1988, the PLO declared the State of Palestine. Over 130 countries recognize it today.

1993–2000: Oslo peace process and its collapse

Oslo Accords (1993–1995): Created the Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza. It was supposed to lead to a two-state solution.

Israeli colonies (settlements) expanded: Despite peace talks, Israel continued building colonies in the West Bank, seen as illegal under international law.

Trust eroded: Peace efforts collapsed by 2000.

2000–2020: Violence, blockade and political division

Second Intifada (2000–2005): More violent than the first; led to thousands of deaths on both sides.

Gaza blockade (2007–present): After Hamas took control of Gaza, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade, leading to severe humanitarian conditions.

Wars in Gaza: Major conflicts occurred in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and 2023, resulting in heavy Palestinian casualties and destruction.

West Bank: Remains under Israeli military occupation with expanding colonies and checkpoints.

2023–2025: The war and aftermath

October 7, 2023: Hamas launched a surprise attack; Israel responds with a massive military assault on Gaza.

Catastrophic human toll: Tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed, millions displaced. International outrage grew over civilian casualties and humanitarian collapse.

Second Nakba: Many described the 2023 displacement of Palestinians from Gaza as a second Nakba.

No clear resolution: Palestinians remain without a state, under occupation, siege, or in exile.

Refugee crisis continues: Over 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) remain without the right of return.

Statelessness: Millions have no nationality or full civil rights in their host countries.

Ongoing occupation: The West Bank and East Jerusalem are still occupied; Gaza remains under blockade.

An end to occupation;

Return of refugees (UN Resolution 194) and

Equal rights and self-determination

It’s not just history — it’s an ongoing human rights crisis.

For Palestinians, the Nakba is not over until justice, freedom, and return are achieved.