77 years of catastrophe: an endless Nakba
May 15, 2025, will mark the 77th anniversary of the Nakba. For Palestinians worldwide, it is not simply a historical date to commemorate, but an open wound, a “catastrophe” – the meaning of the Arabic word Nakba – whose consequences continue to define every aspect of their existence. It is not an event confined to 1948, but a collective trauma...
Lives Interrupted: A Palestinian Refugee's Story of the War in Lebanon
Interview with a Palestinian Refugee in Lebanon During my last mission to Lebanon to document the devastation caused by the Israeli bombings, I collected dozens of testimonies from Palestinian and Syrian refugees. This interview with Khalil, a Palestinian refugee, highlights the challenges and suffering faced by Palestinian refugees in Lebanon during the recent conflict with Israel. His story highlights how...
Justifying the unjustifiable: Israeli and western propaganda
In recent weeks, I’ve found myself immersed in research about media propaganda, driven by the need to understand how, systematically, every military action by Israel always finds its justification in Western media that shapes collective thought. No matter how serious the action: whether it’s schools razed to the ground, hospitals bombed, buildings torn apart – there’s always a ready explanation,...
Between the walls of war and the echo of humanity: reflections on a shared fate
Between us is a wall, and all the spaces are lit by a sun that does not resemble our sun, but it is here, above us, between us, within us, urging us with questions. Do we stay in place, or do we move into wandering?! The last night before the anniversary of the first year of the war, October 7th,...
In Lebanon as in Gaza, killing civilians is Israel's only objective
As we continue to helplessly witness Israel’s genocide in Gaza in a daily state of apprehension, anxiety, and pain due to the images showing the atrocities that have been ongoing for months, in the past week the world has seen Israel’s military failure in Gaza shift to Lebanon, where the genocidal state has lashed out with equal violence and contempt...
Environmental Conditions in Palestinian Camps in Lebanon: UNRWA's Seasonal Challenge Response Plans
Introduction Palestinian camps in Lebanon face challenging environmental conditions, with issues rooted in the establishment of Israel in 1948, which led many Palestinians to seek refuge in Lebanon. These camps developed haphazardly, leading to weak infrastructure. With the onset of summer and winter, challenges increase, necessitating comprehensive plans and efforts from UNRWA and other organizations to improve environmental and living...
Health Situation of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon face difficult and complex living conditions, residing in overcrowded camps and lacking many basic services. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) plays a crucial role in providing support and assistance, including healthcare. Amid increasing security and military threats involving Lebanon and Israel, the readiness of the Lebanese...
Monitoring the impact of the 2024 Lebanese General Security decisions
Recently, the Lebanese General Security announced a set of decisions related to regulating the presence of Syrian refugees and placing more pressures and complications that would push the refugees to choose to leave Lebanese territory in the end. This includes halting the renewal of residency permits for Palestinians coming from Syria and attempting to deport them within a month. From...
The relationship between official Lebanon and Palestinian refugees
Palestinian refugee camps were formed in Lebanon when Palestinians fled to the country due to the Nakba in 1948. This relationship is characterized by complexity due to several factors, including political tension, social and economic problems such as limited employment opportunities for refugees, pressure on resources like infrastructure and healthcare, and security impacts. The relationship between Lebanon and Palestinian refugees...
Echoes of the Nakba: A Refugee's Tale Through Time
This article delves into the personal narrative of a Palestinian refugee, whose earliest memories are entrenched in the unsettling atmosphere of displacement and loss within a refugee camp. Through the lens of their family’s experiences fleeing the Nakba in 1948 and subsequent upheavals, the text brings to reflect on the enduring impact of historical trauma on their identity and collective...