In May 1948, 750 000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes — some by militias and the Israeli military, some based on ill‐founded advice of local leaders and some fleeing in fear of violence. Most assumed they would return a few days or weeks after the fighting subsided. Five generations later, there are over 5.9 million Palestinian refugees recognized by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), who are still being denied the right to return to their homes.
This historical event and its ongoing effects are known as the Nakba, from the Arabic word al‐Nakba for “catastrophe.” This resource guide includes books, articles and other material that provides first‐person accounts of the intergenerational impact of the Nakba on the Palestinian people and the human rights violations that result from such displacement.
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is not responsible for the content of external links. Inclusion of material in this resource guide does not necessarily represent an endorsement of the views expressed. Material is presented in the language in which it was originally produced.