Today - Thursday, 15 May 2025 - marks the 77th anniversary of the Nakba – the “catastrophe” – the term Palestinians use to describe the violent dispossession and displacement they experienced in 1948.

During that year, more than 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes by Zionist militias through a campaign of terror, massacres and military assaults on towns and villages.

Over 500 Palestinian towns and villages were systematically destroyed - their homes reduced to rubble, their communities turned into refugees almost overnight. Families who had lived on their land for generations were forced to flee under gunfire and entire communities were uprooted, never permitted to return.

This was not a random consequence of war - it was the result of a deliberate strategy of ethnic cleansing. Documents and testimonies have since revealed coordinated efforts by Zionist forces to depopulate Palestine of its Arab inhabitants and erase their physical and cultural presence.

"The Nakba isn’t merely a historical event; it is an ongoing injustice that continues to shape the lives of millions of Palestinians today. We remember so that the world cannot turn a blind eye to their suffering," says Hajj Gamel Kheir, Secretary and Spokesman of the Lebanese Muslim Association.

The trauma of that mass displacement reverberates to this day, as countless Palestinians continue to live in refugee camps in neighbouring countries or in exile, denied the right of return to their ancestral homes.

While most countries mark the end of wars with remembrance ceremonies – such as Australia’s own ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day commemorations across the globe – Nakba Day stands apart.

For Palestinians, the Nakba is a present and persistent reality - not a memory from the past.

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A Catastrophe Without End

Despite repeated United Nations resolutions affirming the right of return for Palestinian refugees, Israel has continued to reject this principle – a stance that leaves millions displaced, voiceless and trapped in a cycle of suffering.

But the Nakba didn’t end in 1948.

As the United Nations has acknowledged, the same patterns of dispossession, occupation and violence continue to this day. Palestinians continue to lose homes in the West Bank to settlement expansion. Jerusalem remains heavily restricted and surveilled.

In Gaza, a humanitarian catastrophe continues to unfold before the eyes of the world on an absolutely shocking scale.

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Gaza: The Epicentre of the Ongoing Nakba

Since October 7, 2023, Gaza has been subjected to relentless military assault.

Following a Hamas-led strike on that date, Israel launched what has become  more than 19 months of relentless, merciless, inhumane retaliation.....but not just against Hamas as they claim, but against the innocent civilians of Gaza.

Ground offensives have decimated communities.

An estimated ninety percent of critical infrastructure has been destroyed by airstrikes.

A conservative 52,800 people have been killed – a staggering toll, the majority being women and children.

The trauma is beyond numbers.  

Families have been erased and lives destroyed.

As just referenced, retaliation by the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza since October 7 has led to the senseless murders of thousands of children, with some cases drawing international condemnation due to their severity. For example:

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The Killing of Hind Rajab

On 29 January, 2024, five-year-old Hind Rajab was killed in Gaza City while sheltering in a car with her family.

An investigation by Forensic Architecture, Al Jazeera's Fault Lines, and the NGO Earshot revealed that the car was struck by 335 bullets, primarily from the right side, likely fired by an Israeli tank positioned within 13 to 23 metres of the vehicle.

The attack also claimed the lives of six of Hind's family members and two paramedics who attempted to rescue her.

"It is heartbreaking to see world leaders remain silent or complacent while innocent civilians are bombed, starved and displaced. Their inaction is a form of complicity in this ongoing tragedy," says Gamel Kheir.

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The Death of Sidra Hassouna

On 12 February, 2024, seven-year-old Sidra Hassouna was among over 80 Palestinians killed during Israeli airstrikes in Rafah.

Sidra, her twin sister, 15-month-old brother, parents, grandparents and uncle were sheltering in a building that was bombed during an operation which Israel claims was aimed at rescuing hostages held by Hamas.

The airstrikes resulted in Sidra's body being mutilated, with both legs torn off and her lifeless body was found hanging from the rubble.

These incidents underscore the severe impact of the ongoing conflict on children in Gaza, highlighting the urgent need for international attention and intervention to protect innocent lives.

Gaza is now a place of famine and total devastation.

The blockade has made it almost impossible to access food, clean water, fuel or medicine.

As of this month, more than 1.4 million people face critical food insecurity, with nearly half a million in catastrophic conditions. International agencies have warned that mass starvation is already occurring and could worsen without immediate and large-scale humanitarian intervention.

The scale of destruction and suffering in Gaza is not accidental – it is systematic.

This is what makes Nakba Day so significant.

It reminds the world that what began in 1948 has never truly ended.

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Legal and International Condemnation

The world is beginning to respond, albeit slowly.

In late 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

While Israel has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction, the court has upheld its authority to investigate and prosecute these serious allegations.

Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted multiple resolutions demanding a ceasefire, calling on Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, and urging global actors to step up aid to Gaza.

Yet, despite these statements and resolutions, the violence continues – and the people of Gaza continue to suffer.

"It is heartbreaking to see world leaders remain silent or complacent while innocent civilians are bombed, starved, and displaced. Their inaction is a form of complicity in this ongoing tragedy," repeats Hajj Gamel Kheir, stressing the urgent need for international action.

Governments Must Do More

Statements of concern are no longer enough.

Governments around the world – including Australia – must move beyond diplomatic language and take tangible steps to pressure Israel to comply with international law, to lift the blockade on Gaza, and to allow urgent humanitarian relief into the region.

They must also hold accountable those who have ordered and executed collective punishment against civilians.

Sanctions, arms embargoes and diplomatic consequences are tools that have been used in other global contexts.

There is no moral justification for treating Palestinian lives as any less worthy of protection.

The time for international complicity must end.

It is not up to NGOs and individuals alone – world leaders must act now.

"We pray for peace, justice and an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people. May all humanity find the compassion and courage to stand against injustice and work toward a better future," Gamel Kheir concluded.

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The Power of Remembrance and the Need for Justice

Nakba Day isn’t only about remembering the past – it is about refusing to forget the present.

It is a declaration that we will not look away while civilians are bombed, children are starved and a population is stripped of its future.

Across the globe, people will gather this week to honour the memory of those lost in 1948 and the generations that have suffered since.

In London, a major demonstration is planned on Saturday 17 May to highlight the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and call for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza.

While here in Sydney, the Palestine Action Group has planned a protest rally tonight (Thursday 15 May) at the Sydney Town Hall.

These actions - and likely hundreds more around the world - matter. They show the world that Palestinians are not alone.

But more importantly, they build pressure on governments and institutions to act.

In Australia, where we solemnly remember our own military history each and every year, it is vital that we extend that same empathy to our Palestinian brothers and sisters. I

It's the very least that they deserve.

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