Walking through a refugee camp
Nablus: The Nakba and Refugee Camps
In 1948, Palestinian refugees fled or were expelled from what is now Israel. Many of them continue to live in Nablus. They long to return home.
The Nakba
In 1948 the creation of the state of Israel led to the Nakba (The catastrophe), where, as a result of Israeli ethnic cleansing, Palestinian Muslims and Christians were forced out of their homes, off their lands and out of their jobs.
In the years 1947-49, between 750,000 and 1 million Palestinians were expelled from their homeland and made refugees.
A massacre of over 100 Palestinians at Deir Yassin in 1948 led to many Palestinians fleeing their homes to avoid the same fate.
Over 400 Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed during this period.
These refugees were dispersed to refugee camps across the cities of the West Bank, Gaza and several countries of the Middle East – Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
In 1948, the UN General Assembly called for the right of return for the refugees to their homes and for compensation to be paid.
However, 75 years later, despite numerous UN resolutions, the rights of the Palestinians continue to be denied.
According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) more than 5 million Palestinian refugees are scattered throughout the Middle East.
However, the Nakba was not just a one-off event. New refugees are created as Palestinians continue to face dispossession, displacement by Israeli settlements, evictions, land confiscation and home demolitions.
Today, four refugee camps exist in Nablus that house the original refugees and their descendants. They are: Camp No. 1, Balata, Askar and New Askar.
Refugee camps in Nablus
There are thousands of Palestinians living in refugee camps – in Nablus and elsewhere. They long to return home.
Many of the refugees in Nablus are former residents of Jaffa.
Those who left there in 1948 brought with them the keys to their houses. They expected to return in a couple of weeks once the violence subsided.
The Jewish forces did not intend them to return, took their land and houses. The Israeli government passed the “absentee property law” which illegally deprives these refugees of their property.
Refugees cannot be deprived of their possessions or rights to return home.
Israel has successfully denied Palestinian refugees these rights.
The refugees have not given up hope and many remain in the refugee camps until they can return home.
They live in severely overcrowded areas. Houses are small and streets are narrow. Really narrow.
Some residents have taken up arms to try to overcome the Israeli military occupation. Their impact is limited but they result in quite frequent Israeli army incursions to seek out those they deem to be involved.
To provide education and medical services to these refugees, the United Nations established UNRWA – the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Israel has recently tried to have this agency closed down.