Palestinians Mark 78 Years Since Nakba Amid Ongoing Displacement
Palestinians on Sunday marked the 78th anniversary of the 1948 displacement of about 750,000 Palestinians, with commemorations across the West Bank, Gaza and diaspora cities. With ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza and air strikes on Lebanon, the 2026 anniversary was called 'the hardest in history'.
At marches in Ramallah and Jerusalem, families displaced in 1948 traditionally carried the keys to their old homes. The United Nations said about 1.7 million Palestinians remain internally displaced inside Gaza, while 350,000 have crossed into Lebanon over the past three months.
In Gaza, the commemoration could not be held publicly despite calls for a brief ceasefire window; UNRWA said the humanitarian situation in the strip is the worst since 1948. In the West Bank, an overnight curfew indirectly limited large gatherings.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said 'a two-state solution remains the only legitimate path'. The EU's foreign-affairs council on Monday brought into force new sanctions over West Bank settlement expansion, while the US State Department urged 'all sides to protect civilians'.
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