History & geography
Nakba
Nakba, Arabic for "catastrophe", refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Why it matters
The events of 1948 transformed Palestinian society, displaced a large part of the Palestinian population and created a refugee question that remains unresolved.
Key context
The United Nations uses Nakba to refer to the displacement and dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948. The UN has described the events as involving the depopulation and destruction of hundreds of Palestinian localities.
Sources
United Nations - About the Nakba
Read original (opens in a new tab)United Nations - 78th anniversary of the Nakba
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