As the conflict in the Gaza Strip continues, Palestinians are commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, which drove around 750,000 of them into exile.
In this room located in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, these elderly people take a health class. Many have spent a large part of their lives here in Lebanon.
In 1948, when the State of Israel was created, 750,000 Palestinians were forced to flee their land. This day is called the Nakba, which means catastrophe in Arabic.
Amna hopes one day to be able to return home.
“We will never forget our country. We bottle-feed babies (making them believe) that “you are Palestinian and you need to go home” from a very young age. We will never forget Palestine. If it’s not me who comes back, it will be my son, my grandson or my great-grandson. What matters is that Palestine returns“, she explains.
On Wednesday, May 15, Palestinians commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Nakba. Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, certain Israeli ministers have advocated the exile of the population. Gazans, who have been displaced by this conflict, fear losing what remains of their land.
This is the case of Mustapha, who moved to Rafah when he was five years old. Now aged 81, he fears he will once again have to seek refuge elsewhere.
“I am unable to ensure my safety. I live in extreme fear. I am unable to ensure the safety of my son and grandson“, he explains.
According to the UN, around 450,000 people have had to flee Rafah in recent days. Despite international warnings, the Israeli army continues to shell the city. More than a million people who had fled bombings in the north and center of the Palestinian enclave had taken refuge here.
