{"id":318178,"date":"2026-05-15T14:30:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T18:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=318178"},"modified":"2026-05-15T16:40:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T20:40:26","slug":"unasg-khiari-statement-78nakba-15may2026","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/unasg-khiari-statement-78nakba-15may2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Nabka is “the world\u2019s longest standing protracted refugee crisis”, UN Assistant Secretary-General says at the 78th commemoration of the Nakba"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0Statement delivered by<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr. Khaled Khiari<\/strong>
\nUN Assistant Secretary-General<\/strong>
\nfor the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific<\/strong><\/p>\n

Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs <\/strong><\/p>\n

The 78th<\/sup> Anniversary of the Nakba<\/strong><\/p>\n

15 May 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/p>\n

Distinguished Delegates,<\/p>\n

Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/p>\n

I thank the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for convening this solemn commemoration of the 78th<\/sup> anniversary of the Nakba.<\/p>\n

Each year, this observance reminds us that the Nakba is not merely a historical event. This is the world\u2019s longest standing protracted refugee crisis \u2013 one that remains painfully unresolved, shaping identity, lives, and the enduring pursuit of justice and self-determination for the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n

In 1948, more than 750,000 Palestinians were uprooted from their homes, many forcibly so. Hundreds of villages were depopulated or destroyed, and a people was driven into exile. Since then, the international community has responded by re-affirming core principles of international law: the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, the right of peoples to self\u2011determination, and a just and agreed resolution of the Palestine refugee question, in line with relevant UN resolutions. 78 years on, these principles remain unfulfilled.<\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/p>\n

The situation in Gaza today is a catastrophe of grave proportions. Since the horrific terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023, devastation from the subsequent war is staggering. The ceasefire remains fragile, and civilians continue to be killed and displaced. Homes, hospitals, schools, and other essential infrastructure have been destroyed. \u00a0More than 85 per cent of Gaza\u2019s population has been displaced, many repeatedly so.<\/p>\n

In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the UN continues to document systematic displacement of Palestinians, home demolitions, settlement expansion, and the proliferation of outposts. Settler-related violence has increased in frequency and severity while impunity for settlers remains persistent. Israeli military operations have caused widespread destruction and displacement, including the forced displacement of over 40,000 Palestine refugees from camps in the northern West Bank since early 2025.<\/p>\n

The Secretary-General has been clear: all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have no legal validity and are in flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions. Moreover, as reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in its advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024<\/a>, Israel\u2019s occupation of the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, is unlawful and must end.<\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/p>\n

The Â鶹APP has been clear: Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, constitute a single political\u00a0and territorial unit. Addressing one while neglecting the other entrenches fragmentation and perpetuates instability. Sustainable peace will not be achieved through humanitarian mitigation alone.<\/p>\n

Illegal measures to alter East Jerusalem\u2019s demographic composition and restrict freedom of worship and Palestinian presence threaten the city\u2019s unique religious, cultural and historical character. Jerusalem must remain a city shared by all, whose final status is resolved through negotiations in line with international law.<\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/p>\n

Remembering the Nakba imposes responsibilities \u2014 not only of remembrance, but of action.<\/p>\n

The pathway forward is well known. It is grounded in international law, relevant Â鶹APP resolutions, and the collective commitments of the international community. They include ending unlawful practices, protecting civilians, supporting Palestinian governance and institution\u2011building, and reviving a credible political process toward a negotiated two\u2011State solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side, in peace and security. If implemented comprehensively, the 20-point US Plan to End the Gaza Conflict\u2014endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025)<\/a> could offer a way forward toward addressing these outstanding issues.<\/p>\n

On this anniversary, the Â鶹APP renews its commitment to dignity, justice and the rights of the Palestinian people. The memory of the Nakba must not serve only as a reminder of past failure, but as a call to finally uphold our collective responsibilities \u2014 so that future generations need not inherit the injustice of those who came before them.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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