74th Anniversary of Nakba Marked in Palestine
Last week Palestinians marked the 74th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba (Catastrophe), referring to a time when over 700,000 Palestinian people were forcibly driven from their homes by the Haganah (a Zionist militia which was later to become the Israeli Defence Force). Hundreds of towns and villages were destroyed and thousands of people killed. As a result of this act of mass ethnic cleansing Israel was illegally founded on May 14th 1948.
Today over five million Palestinians live in refugee camps. Palestinian people have consistently fought for their right to return to their villages, many of which are completely vacant even today. They realise that this is an inalienable right, one which is not open to negotiation or debate. They have resisted continued Israeli attempts to destroy this right.
Settlement building, the illegal Apartheid Wall and army harassment are just some of the tactics used to try and demoralise Palestinians and force them to give up their fight. These attempts will not succeed.
Speaking on the issue, Lasair Dhearg spokesperson Pádraic Mac Coitir said, “Nakba Day in 2022 was marked with demonstrations throughout Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Thousands turned out in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Nablus. The demonstrations take place just days after Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in cold blood in the occupied West Bank by Israeli occupation forces.
“Abu Akleh, a longtime TV correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic, was killed on Wednesday while covering Israeli army raids in the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.
He continued, “Predictably, the occupation forces have made false claims that she was gunned down by Palestinian militants, but this has been disproven by eye-witnesses. These crimes committed by the occupation forces will only serve to increase Palestinian resistance and determination.
“Lasair Dhearg fully supports the right of return of the Palestinian refugees and the popular resistance demonstrated throughout Palestine.”
