The Forgotten Genocide: 76 Years of Israel's Nakba, Thousands Dead, Over 7M Displaced
As Israel's devastating war in Gaza rages on, the Palestinian community marks the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, a day that has been marred by decades of bloodshed, displacement, and devastation.
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What is Nakba?
On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, Palestinians observed the 76th anniversary of the "Nakba" while Israel waged a destructive war on the Gaza Strip.
The term "Nakba" is used by Palestinians to describe May 15, 1948, the day when the global Zionist movement announced the establishment of "Israel" in their native land of Palestine.
As per the official data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel has been responsible for the deaths of 134,000 Palestinians and Arabs in Palestine since 1948. According to official statistics compiled by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel has been responsible for the loss of 134,000 Palestinian and Arab lives in Palestine since 1948. Furthermore, since Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 1967, it has detained approximately one million Palestinians.
Each year on May 15, Palestinians commemorate the Nakba by organizing marches, events, and exhibitions within and outside the occupied territories globally. This year's commemoration coincides with Israel's devastating war against the Gaza Strip and its military assault on the West Bank, particularly in the northern camps of the region.
Establishment of Israel
On May 14, 1948, the World Zionist Movement declared the creation of the state of "Israel" in Palestine, with the United States being the first country to recognize its existence.
For Palestinians, there is no distinction between the Nakba and the Balfour Declaration. The British announcement on November 2, 1917, which pledged to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine, laid the groundwork for the Palestinians' displacement and loss of their homeland on May 15, 1948.
Less than two decades later, Israel expanded its occupation to encompass the remaining Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, as well as parts of neighboring Arab countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.
Nakba in figures
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the events of the Nakba and the subsequent displacement of the Palestinian nation were a catastrophic and devastating blow. The agency's report highlights the magnitude of the tragedy, which saw a nation of 1.4 million Palestinians forcibly displaced from their homes in 1300 cities and villages, with over 1 million Palestinians forced to flee to the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and neighboring Arab countries.
The report also notes that thousands of Palestinians were internally displaced within Palestine, forced to migrate from one region to another due to the Israeli occupation. At that time, Israel occupied 774 Palestinian towns and villages, with 531 completely destroyed and the rest either occupied by Israelis or subject to Israeli laws. The report paints a stark picture of the extent of the destruction and chaos caused by the Nakba.
Furthermore, the report reveals that the cleansing of Palestinian areas was accompanied by a staggering 70 massacres carried out by Zionist groups against Palestinians, resulting in the loss of life of over 15,000 Palestinians.
The establishment of Israel in 1948 occurred on more than 85% of the area of Palestine, which was approximately 27,000 square kilometers.
Since 1948, more than 134,000 Palestinians and Arabs have lost their lives in Palestine. Moreover, the Israeli occupation since 1967 has resulted in the detention and arrest of over one million Palestinians.
A tenfold increase in the Palestinian population
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics predicts that the global Palestinian population will reach 14.63 million by the end of 2023, a staggering tenfold increase since the Nakba of 1948.
According to the report, the distribution of Palestinians globally is as follows: "Approximately 5.5 million people live in occupied Palestine, including the West Bank, occupied Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip; around 1.75 million people reside in Arab countries; and about 772,000 people live in Western countries."
The report also highlights the demographics of Palestinians within the occupied territories. Approximately 3.2 million people live in the West Bank, while in East Jerusalem, there are around 477,000 people. The Gaza Strip is home to approximately 2.1 million people, with the remainder residing outside the occupied territories.
The statistics reveal that Palestinians comprise about 49.9% of the population in occupied Palestine, while Jews make up around 50.1%. Notably, despite comprising a smaller proportion of the population, Palestinians are subjected to Israeli occupation and control over more than 85% of the total area of occupied Palestine.
Based on these projections, the Palestinian population in occupied Palestine is estimated to be around 7.3 million people by the end of 2023, with the Jewish population expected to be approximately 7.2 million people.
The report also highlights the density of the Palestinian population in occupied territories, with a projected density of 582 people per square kilometer in the West Bank and 6,185 people per square kilometer in the Gaza Strip by the end of 2023.
Settlement and Arrests
The Israeli occupation has continued to perpetuate the practice of arresting and detaining Palestinians, with official statistics revealing that more than one million Palestinians have been arrested and detained since 1967. Currently, around 9,400 Palestinians are still being held in Israeli prisons.
In the context of settlements, official reports indicate that the number of Israeli settlements and bases in the West Bank reached 483 by the end of 2022. This includes 314 settlements, 25 residential areas, and 144 industrial, tourist, service, or military centers.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics also provided data on the number of West Bank settlers at the end of 2022, which stood at approximately 745,467 people. The majority of these settlers reside in Jerusalem, with a total of 336,272 people living in the city.
Continuous War
As the anniversary of the Nakba is being observed, the Israeli army continues its devastating war against the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023. The war has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of Palestinians, with the majority being children and women. The destruction caused by the war has also left approximately 10,000 people missing. Furthermore, the war has led to displacement, famine, hunger, and a lack of sanitation, taking the lives of hundreds of children and the elderly and threatening the lives of thousands more.
According to a report from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel has completely destroyed over 31,000 buildings in this war, with approximately 17,000 buildings severely damaged and 41,000 buildings moderately damaged. The direct damages to the Gaza Strip as a result of this war are estimated to be around $30 billion.
In parallel to the war in Gaza, the Israeli army has intensified its operations in the West Bank. According to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, since October 7, 498 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, with over 5,000 people injured and thousands more arrested.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics also reported that Israel demolished more than 659 buildings and infrastructure facilities in the West Bank in 2023, and ordered the demolition of 1,333 Palestinian buildings and infrastructure facilities under the pretext of lacking a permit.
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