RAMALLAH, West Bank, 9 May 2008 — Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip yesterday held a national day of mourning to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe).
Palestinians raised black flags on rooftops and went on a one-hour strike to mark the event. Israel also celebrated its anniversary in accordance with the Hebrew lunar calendar.
In 1948, the Jews drove out the Palestinians to the Gaza Strip, West Bank and established a state. Every year, when Israel marks its anniversary, the Palestinians mark their catastrophe.
The Higher National Committee for Commemorating Nakba called on all Palestinians to participate in the demonstrations to protest “the celebrations of the occupation’s state (Israel) which was built on the ruins of our people, villages and cities” and called them “to stick to their legitimate right of return.”
Omer Asaf, a member of the committee said that “over the coming 12 hours there will be live television broadcasts of protests from the cities of Ramallah, Beirut, Cairo and Paris in addition to other activities including a lecture on ‘Palestine ... history and geography’, a gallery, and documentaries and the distributing of pamphlets for the youths and children.”
Meanwhile, Israeli forces barred entry of Arab Member of Israeli Knesset Mohammed Barakeh to West Bank city of Nablus to participate in an activity commemorating the Nakba. Barakeh criticized the decision and sent a message to the Knesset’s Speaker Dalia Itzik protesting the move.
“The Israeli Army and the Israeli authorities insist on segregating the West Bank and dividing it into small zones lacking geographical contiguity,” he said in a press statement. He pointed out that Nablus has been segregated and separated from the outside world for more than seven and a half years.
About 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their land after the creation of Israel in 1948 and the ensuing Arab-Israeli War. An additional 200,000 Palestinians underwent a similar fate during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
The fate of the original refugees and their descendants, who are scattered throughout the occupied territories, neighboring Arab countries and other parts of the world, has been one of the thorniest issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Israel defiantly opposes their right of return, aware that the demographics of the state could be overturned if all Palestinian refugees and their descendents move to modern-day Israel.
The UN estimates that there are more than six million Palestinian refugees in the world today, four million of which are registered with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), with a third of that number living in refugee camps.
Living conditions in neighboring Arab countries vary a great deal, with Lebanon — where Palestinian refugees are banned from working in most jobs or owning property — being the worst example.
Studies and surveys have indicated, however, that far from all refugees worldwide would want to go back to their land or that of their ancestors. The minority of Palestinians who stayed on their land when Israel was created are now described as Israeli-Arabs.
Hisham Abu Taha adds from Gaza: A 33-year-old mother for seven children was found dead inside her house in Abassan village east of Khan Younis city in the southern of Gaza Strip after the Israeli troops pulled out from the village late Wednesday, witnesses and medical sources said.
Medical sources said that Wafa Al-Daghma was hit in her head while the house came under an Israeli indiscriminate heavy gunfire. They added that paramedics were unable to get to the house to evacuate her from the scene but when the Israeli troops pulled out village late Wednesday, she was found dead in her house yard.
A resident living in the area told Arab News that Israeli bulldozers completely demolished a house owned by Suliman Al-Qara in addition to partially destroying four other houses. He added that seemingly the Israeli military authorities have decided to create a security buffer zone inside the Palestinian areas. The area could be reached 800 meters because the Israeli bulldozers destroyed most of the houses, arable lands and green houses within this area.
The Israeli invasion to the area began in the early dawn hours on Wednesday, the troops broke into and searched dozens of houses. The soldiers took the rooftops of several houses and used number of them for monitoring everything moves in the area.
Israeli troops pulled out from Abbassan village late Wednesday leaving two dead and about 20 other wounded. The Islamic Jihad movement said that 10 of its fighters were among those wounded.
