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Rabat – Palestinians are commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Nakba today; a day to remember the mass killing and displacement of Palestinians during the establishment of Israel in 1948.
An already solemn occasion, this year’s remembrance, is further shadowed by the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over half a million people have been recently displaced due to intense bombardment from the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
The Nakba of 1948 saw at least 750,000 Palestinians forcibly expelled from their homes, with at least 15,000 killed by the IOF.
Echoing history, Gaza is now experiencing a devastating crisis with over 1.5 million Palestinians displaced and more than 70% of residential units destroyed since October 7. This has rendered much of the Strip uninhabitable as many Palestinians are now living in tents.
Fierce battles have been ongoing in northern Gaza’s Jabalia and southern Rafah as Israeli operations against Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, intensify, Al Jazeera reported today. Both Hamas and the IOF reported significant casualties.
In the past 24 hours, Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the highest daily death toll among civilians in weeks, killing at least 82 Palestinians.
On Nakba Day, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa vowed that Israel’s actions would not force Palestinians from their land. “We will not kneel,” he declared, emphasizing the Palestinians’ resilience and commitment to their homeland despite the relentless violence.
Palestinian historian Saleh Abd al-Jawad described at the ceremony that the current situation as more violent than the original Nakba, highlighting the one-sided nature of the killings and the use of sophisticated American weapons against civilians.
Since October 2023, over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza alone, with the West Bank also experiencing frequent IOF raids and fatalities.
The ongoing violence has led many Palestinians to view the current situation as a “second Nakba.” Unlike 1948, when Arab states provided military support to Palestinians, today the war-torn country faces the crisis largely alone.
