Anniversary of the 1948 Nakba serves a grim reminder amid ongoing catastrophe in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

15 May 2025

The 15^th of May marks the forced expulsion and displacement of 750,000 thousand Palestinians during the crisis that created the State of Israel in 1948. During the Nakba, Israel razed more than 530 towns and villages.

77 years on from the 1948 Nakba, Australia must stand with Palestinians in Gaza against Israel's genocide. Amnesty International Australia calls on the Labor Government to prevent history from repeating itself by pushing for a permanent ceasefire and for the restoration of full and unhindered delivery of aid and essential supplies to prevent a second Nakba.

The international community must not stand idle while Israel inflicts bombardment, ongoing displacement and starvation as a weapon of war upon two million women, men and children.

"Nakba Day reminds us that 77 years on from our expulsion, human rights violations, oppression, violence, domination and displacement of Palestinians is still ongoing. We won't stop there is an end to the Gaza Genocide, the brutal, unlawful occupation and system of apartheid," says Mohamed Duar, Amnesty International Australia's Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson.

On its 77^th Anniversary, al-Nakba remains a haunting reminder of an ongoing catastrophe for the Palestinian community. The crimes committed in 1948 draw haunting parallels to the to the actions carried out by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023. From Israel's genocide in Gaza, to its system of apartheid enforced within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and its unlawful occupation, Israel's war crimes and crimes against humanity are not isolated-they are the continuation of the ongoing Nakba that has never ended.

More than 52,908 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israel since October 2023. Israel's tightened blockage of aid, water, food and medical supplies constitutes collective punishment of civilians, while its criminalisation of UNRWA accelerates its pursuit of genocide and calculated human catastrophe resulting in 57 Palestinians having starved to death. No aid has entered Gaza since March 1, 2025, leaving two million Palestinians in Gaza enduring relentless bombardment and continual forced displacement.

Civilians, humanitarians, medical workers and journalists have all been deliberately targeted and come under attack, despite their protection under international law. The killing of these groups constitutes war crimes under international humanitarian and human rights law, yet no member of the Israeli Forces has ever been held accountable for their deaths.

The Nakba has been engraved in Palestinian collective consciousness as a story of relentless dispossession, oppression, apartheid and genocide. Today, 7 million Palestinian refugees make up one of the largest refugee populations globally. However, they have been denied access to resettlement pathways and pathways to safety that could alleviate their plight.

"All Palestinians living in exile carry an unbreakable bond to our homeland. Uprooted, much like our olive trees, we yearn to return home. The pain of being exiled from a land that runs through your blood and anchors your soul is beyond words. It's a wound that never heals, a longing that never fades", says Mr Duar.

"My father, like the 750,000 who were expelled in the first Nakba, continues to carry the keys to his house around his neck in the hopes of one day returning to his village - one of 650 that were razed in 1948. I learned of this story when I was young and have since made a lifelong commitment to defending human rights.

"For Palestinians, the Nakba never ended. It lives on in our families, our hearts and our homes. Palestinians are resilient people, yet we have endured cycles of continuous violence and human rights abuses, while being denied their right of return."

Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all - and we can only do it with your support.

Act now or learn more about our crisis response campaign.