Today is May 15, a sorrowful day for Palestinians, the Nakba Day

Today is May 15, a sorrowful day for Palestinians—Nakba Day. The way millions of Palestinians were evicted from their homes during the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 is known in history as the Nakba or "catastrophe". Even 77 years after that event today, Palestinians are saying—"The Nakba is not just history anymore, it is our daily reality." Many are saying that the unbearable lives of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are still part of the ongoing Nakba.

Since October 2023, more than 50,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza. Having lost their homes, almost the entire population of Gaza are refugees, and the region faces a severe humanitarian disaster amid shortages of food and medicine. Thousands of people marched in the city of Ramallah today to mark Nakba Day. Palestinian flags fluttered at every street corner, along with banners reading "Right of Return", black flags, and small children holding symbolic large keys—which carry the memory of lost homes.

Many children were brought from schools to participate in this program. Moemon al-Sharabini, a resident of Khan Yunis, said, "We are losing loved ones every day, losing our homes. There is nothing left called life—this is our new Nakba." Israel's new military plan has indicated the complete occupation of Gaza and the removal of people from there. Even the country's Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that he is "looking for ways to send the people of Gaza to a third country."

Although this has drawn sharp criticism from the international community, there has been no improvement in the situation. Malak Radwan, living in Nuseirat, said, "The Nakba is no longer just a commemoration. The people of Gaza are living through it every day." Nael Nakhleh of Ramallah, whose family was uprooted from al-Majdal near Jaffa in 1948, said—"This day is painful for us because even after so many years, we still have not been able to return home."

Palestinians still firmly claim their "right of return"—which remains one of the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Source: Al Jazeera)