On Nakba Day, Palestinians in the West Bank commemorated the flight and expulsion during the first Middle East war in 1948. One man was killed in clashes. The EU called on Israel to end the military operation in Rafah.
Palestinian demonstrators in the West Bank commemorated the flight and displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians during the first Middle East war in 1948. They celebrate the so-called Nakba Day (“Day of Catastrophe”) every year on May 15th, one day after the anniversary of the founding of the Israeli state on May 14th, 1948. In the West Bank, the central event took place in Ramallah. At midday, sirens wailed there for 76 seconds – one second for every year since the Nakba.
Fewer Palestinians attended Nakba Day rallies this year.
Supporters of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Fatah movement in particular marched in the streets. According to reports from eyewitnesses, there were significantly fewer participants at the main event in Ramallah than in previous years.
Already on Tuesday, several thousand Palestinians marched through the ruins of former Arab villages in northern Israel. “Gaza will not bow to the tanks and guns,” they shouted.
One dead in clashes
North of Ramallah, young demonstrators and Israeli soldiers clashed near a Jewish settlement. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, one young man was killed and another was arrested. This means that 170 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the beginning of the year. There have been 476 since October 7th. The Israeli army has not yet provided any information about the incident.
EU again calls for an end to the Rafah offensive
The EU called on Israel to immediately end the military operation in the southern Gaza Strip city. A continuation would “severely strain” relations with the EU, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Israel must not further aggravate “the already catastrophic humanitarian situation” in the Gaza Strip, said Borrell. The Rafah border crossing must also be reopened. Borrell further emphasized that while the EU recognizes Israel’s right to defend itself, Israel must do so in accordance with international humanitarian law and bring civilians to safety. This is not guaranteed when evacuating people from Rafah.
More than a million Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah.
The Israeli army advanced into eastern Rafah last week despite international warnings. Since then, fighting between the army and the terrorist organization Hamas has continued in the city on the border with Egypt.
In the border town with Egypt, more than a million people have sought refuge from the fighting in the Palestinian territory that has been going on since October. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sticking to his plans for a large-scale ground offensive in Rafah, despite international pressure.
Israel plans military action in the north of the Gaza Strip
The Israeli military is also planning a major military operation against the Islamist Hamas in the north of the Gaza Strip. An army spokesman published a map on the X platform showing the areas of the city of Jabaliya that had to be left immediately. In these areas, Hamas and other terrorist groups fired rockets at Israeli cities, it said. Residents should seek refuge from the upcoming military operations in shelters in the west of Gaza city.
Gray areas: Built-up areas in the Gaza Strip, hatching: Israeli army