The dominant event for Palestinians in Gaza during the past century has
been the Nakba of 1948, when hundreds of thousands were driven from, or
else fled, their homes in what is now
modern-day Israel as the state came into existence. The right of return
to ancestral homes (or “Haq al-Awda”) is the over-riding long-term
priority for many Palestinians: it forms part of United Nations
resolution 194.
