Palestinian refugees

In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict , a Palestinian refugee is a refugee from Palestine created by the Palestinian Exodus , which Palestinians call the Nakba (نكبة, meaning "disaster").

Palestinian refugees or Palestine refugees are the people and their descendants, predominantly Palestinian Arabic-speakers , who fled or were expelled from their homes during and after the 1948 Palestine War , Within that part of the British Mandate of Palestine that after that war became the territory of the State of Israel , and the Palestinian territories . The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), an organ of the United Nations created to aid the displaced from the 1948 defines a Palestinian refugee as a person "whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict". UNRWA's definition of a Palestinian refugee also covers the descendants of persons who became refugees in 1948 regardless of whether they reside in areas designated as refugee camps or in established, permanent communities. Descendants of Palestinian refugees under the authority of the UNRWA are the only group to be granted refugee status on the basis of descent alone. Based on the UNRWA definition, the number of Palestine refugees has grown from 711,000 in 1950 to over four million registered with the UN in 2002. Some displaced Palestinians resettled in other countries where their situation is often precarious. Many remained refugees and continue to reside in refugee camps, including in the Palestinian territories . Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs . Adam Keller of the Tel-Aviv based Gush Shalom movement noted that "The recognition of decendants of Palestinian refugees as being refugees themselves, without a time limit, is an ironic emulation of the Zionist Movement's claim that all Jews are "refugees", whose ancestors left Eretz Yisrael nearly 2000 years ago. This claim was recognised by the International Community, in authorising the Zionists to create a Jewish state; it is natural that a similar right be recogised for the Palestinians displaced due to the Zionist claim (Lecture in October 2008 Tel Aviv panel discussion on the history of the conflict.

Palestinian refugees (per United Nations Resolution 194 ) originally included Arabs whose normal places of residence were in Israel and Jews who had had their homes in Mandatory Palestine , such as those from the Jewish Quarter of the Old City . Their right of return was recognized in United Nations Resolution 194 of 1948. Today, the term refers primarily to the patrilineal descendants of Arab refugees originating in the Mandate, as per the UNRWA definition. In 2012, the number of registered patrilineal descendants of the original Palestine refugees, based on the UNRWA registration requirements, is estimated to be 4,950,000. The number of original Palestine refugees has declined from 711,000 in 1950 to approximately 30,000 to 50,000 in 2012. During the 1948 Palestine War , around 85% (720,000 people) of the Palestinian Arab population of what has now become Israel fled or were expelled from their homes , to the West Bank , the Gaza Strip , and to the countries of Lebanon , Syria and Jordan . They, and their descendants, who are also entitled to registration, are assisted by UNWRA in 58 registered camps, 10 of which were established in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967 to cope with new Palestinian refugees. Including unregistered, displaced persons and refugee descendants, the Palestinian Arab refugee and displaced population is the largest in the world. They are also the world's oldest unsettled refugee population, having been under the ongoing governance of Arab states following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , and the refugee populations of Gaza and the West Bank under Israeli governance since the Six Day War . Citizenship or legal residency in host countries is denied in Lebanon where the absorption of Palestinians would upset a delicate confessional balance, but available in Jordan where approximately 40% of UNWRA-registered Palestinian refugees have acquired full citizenship rights. Resolution 194 was adopted by the General Assembly on 11 December 1948, calling for the return of refugees from the ongoing Arab-Israeli hostilities. It forms one basis for the Palestinian claim for a 'right of return'. Though the 1948 refugees and their descendants are broadly defined as "refugees" ( laji'un ), Palestinians make several distinctions. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), especially those who have returned and form part of the PNA , but also Palestinian refugee camp residents in Lebanon, repudiate this term, since it implies being a passive victim, and prefer the autonym of 'returnees' ( a'idun ). Those who left since 1967, and their descendants, are called nazihun or 'displaced persons', though many descend from the 1948 group. An independent poll conducted in 2003 with the Palestinian populations of Gaza, West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon showed that the majority (54%) would accept a financial compensation and a place to live in West Bank or Gaza in place of returning to the exact place in modern-day Israel where they or their ancestors lived (this possibility of settlement is contemplated in the Resolution 194). Only 10% said they would live in Israel if given the option. "[U.S.] Deputy Secretary of State Tom Nides (..) affirmed the State Department’s view on the number of Palestinian refugees (..) that the UN and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) “provides essential services for approximately 5 million refugees,” (..) Middle East Forum founder Daniel Pipes recently noted in an op-ed for Israel Hayom that only 1 percent of the refugees served by UNRWA fit the agency’s definition of “people whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.” The other 99 percent are descendants of refugees." Nides, Tom (U.S. Deputy Secretary of State ) and Daniel Pipes and. International law and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . The term 'refugees' applies to all persons, Arabs, Jews and others who have been displaced from their homes in Palestine. This would include Arabs in Israel who have been shifted from their normal places of residence. It would also include Jews who had their homes in Arab Palestine, such as the inhabitants of the Jewish quarter of the Old City. Righteous Victims : A History of the Zionist-Arab conflict, 1881-2001 (1st Vintage Books ed. ed.).

Further information: Definitions of Palestinian and History of Palestinian nationality The term " Palestine refugees " originally referred to both Arabs and Jews whose normal place of residence had been in Mandatory Palestine but were displaced and lost their livelihoods as a result of the 1948 Palestine war . In 1949, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) defined Palestinian refugees to refer to the original "Palestine refugees" as well as their patrilineal descendants. However, UNRWA's assistance is limited to Palestine refugees residing in UNRWA's areas of operation in the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. In 2012, there were an estimated 4,950,000 registered descendants of the original "Palestine refugees" who fit the 1949 UNRWA criteria, based on the UNRWA registration requirements, of which an estimated 1.5 million lived in UNRWA camps. The number of original refugees "who meet UNRWA's Palestine Refugee criteria" was 711,000 in 1950 of which approximately 30,000–50,000 were still alive in 2012. The term does not include internally displaced Palestinians , who became Israeli citizens and neither displaced Palestinian Jews. According to some estimates, as many as 1,049,848–1,380,714 people, who descend from displaced people of Mandatory Palestine are not registered under UNRWA and neither UNHCR mandates. During the 1948 Palestine War , around 85% (720,000 people) of the Palestinian Arab population of what became Israel fled or were expelled from their homes , to the West Bank , the Gaza Strip , and to the countries of Lebanon , Syria and Jordan . They, and their descendants, who are also entitled to registration, are assisted by UNWRA in 59 registered camps, 10 of which were established in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967 to cope with new Palestinian refugees. Being the only refugees in the world to be mainly inherited, including unregistered, displaced persons and refugee descendants, the Palestinian Arab refugee and displaced population has grown to be the second largest in the world, after an estimated 11,000,000 Syrians displaced by the Syrian Civil War . They are also the world's oldest unsettled refugee population, having been under the ongoing governance of Arab states following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , the refugee populations of the West Bank under Israeli governance since the Six-Day War and Palestinian administration since 1994, and the Gaza Strip administered by the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) since 2007. Citizenship or legal residency in host countries is denied in Lebanon where the absorption of Palestinians would upset a delicate confessional balance, but available in Jordan where by 2009 over 90% of UNWRA-registered Palestinian refugees have acquired full citizenship rights. On 11 December 1948, the UN General Assembly in non-binding Resolution 194, Article 11 resolved that the refugees who wish to "live at peace with their neighbors ... should be permitted" to return to their homes at the "earliest practicable date" This forms one basis for the Palestinian political claim for a ' Palestinian right of return '. An independent poll conducted in 2003 with the Palestinian populations of Gaza, West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon showed that the majority (54%) would accept a financial compensation and a place to live in West Bank or Gaza in place of returning to the exact place in modern-day Israel where they or their ancestors lived (this possibility of settlement is contemplated in the Resolution 194). Only 10% said they would live in Israel if given the option. The Algemeiner . 30 May 2012 . [U.S.] Deputy Secretary of State Tom Nides (..) affirmed the State Department's view on the number of Palestinian refugees (..) that the UN and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) "provides essential services for approximately 5 million refugees," (..) Middle East Forum founder Daniel Pipes recently noted in an op-ed for Israel Hayom that only 1 percent of the refugees served by UNRWA fit the agency's definition of "people whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict." The other 99 percent are descendants of refugees. The vast majority of Palestinian refugees fall under the UNRWA mandate, but there is still a large number living in other countries of the region, such as the Gulf States, Egypt, Iraq or Yemen, or further afield in Australia, Europe and America. : Invalid |ref=harv ( help ) (Tab2, second column) Susan Akram (2011). International law and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . The term 'refugees' applies to all persons, Arabs, Jews and others who have been displaced from their homes in Palestine. This would include Arabs in Israel who have been shifted from their normal places of residence. It would also include Jews who had their homes in Arab Palestine, such as the inhabitants of the Jewish quarter of the Old City. Persons who meet UNRWA's Palestine Refugee criteria These are persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict. Palestine Refugees, and descendants of Palestine refugee males, including legally adopted children, are eligible to register for UNRWA services. The Agency accepts new applications from persons who wish to be registered as Palestine Refugees. Once they are registered with UNRWA, persons in this category are referred to as Registered Refugees or as Registered Palestine Refugees. A History of the Zionist–Arab conflict, 1881–2001 (1st Vintage Books ed.). Perspectives on Palestinian repatriation .

Displaced persons and refugees Clickable map of the more than 400 depopulated towns and villages of the 1948 Palestinian exodus (red) and the c. 60 modern day Palestinian refugee camps (blue) Palestinian refugees are citizens of Mandatory Palestine , and their descendants, who fled or were expelled from their country, village or house over the course of the 1948 Palestine war and during the 1967 Six-Day War . Most Palestinian refugees live in or near 68 Palestinian refugee camps across Jordan , Lebanon , Syria , the West Bank and the Gaza Strip . In 2019 more than 5.6 million Palestinian refugees were registered with the United Nations. In 1949, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) defined Palestinian refugees to refer to the original " Palestine refugees " as well as their patrilineal descendants. However, UNRWA's assistance is limited to Palestine refugees residing in UNRWA's areas of operation in the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. As of 2019, more than 5.6 million Palestinians were registered with UNRWA as refugees, of which more than 1.5 million live in UNRWA-run camps. The term "Palestine refugee" does not include internally displaced Palestinians , who became Israeli citizens, or displaced Palestinian Jews . According to some estimates, as many as 1,050,000–1,380,000 people, who descend from displaced people of Mandatory Palestine are not registered under UNRWA or UNHCR mandates. During the 1948 Palestine War , around 85% of the population or 700,000 Palestinian Arabs, living in the area that became Israel fled or were expelled from their homes , to the West Bank , the Gaza Strip , and to the countries of Lebanon , Syria and Jordan . They, and their descendants who are also entitled to registration, are assisted by UNWRA in 59 registered camps, ten of which were established in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967 to cope with the new wave of displaced Palestinians. They are also the world's oldest unsettled refugee population, having been under the ongoing governance of Arab states following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , the refugee populations of the West Bank under Israeli governance since the Six-Day War and Palestinian administration since 1994, and the Gaza Strip administered by the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) since 2007. Today, the largest number of refugees, over 2,000,000, live in Jordan, where by 2009 over 90% of UNWRA -registered Palestinian refugees had acquired full citizenship rights. This figure consists almost exclusively of West Bank–descended Palestinians; however, as of December 2021, Palestinians with roots in the Gaza Strip are also still kept in legal limbo. In 2021, Jordanian politician Jawad Anani estimated that roughly 50% of Jordan's population had West Bank–Palestinian roots. Another approximately 2,000,000 refugees live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, under Israeli occupation and blockade. Approximately 500,000 refugees live in each of Syria and Lebanon respectively, albeit under very different circumstances. While Palestinian refugees in Syria maintained their stateless status, the Syrian government during Assad's rule afforded them the same economic and social rights enjoyed by Syrian citizens; they were also drafted into the Armed Forces despite not being citizens. Citizenship or legal residency in some host countries is denied, most notably for the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon , where the absorption of Palestinians would upset a delicate confessional balance. On 11 December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) adopted Resolution 194 which affirmed the Palestinians right to return to their homes. International law and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . The term 'refugees' applies to all persons, Arabs, Jews and others who have been displaced from their homes in Palestine. This would include Arabs in Israel who have been shifted from their normal places of residence. It would also include Jews who had their homes in Arab Palestine, such as the inhabitants of the Jewish quarter of the Old City. Persons who meet UNRWA's Palestine Refugee criteria These are persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict. Palestine Refugees, and descendants of Palestine refugee males, including legally adopted children, are eligible to register for UNRWA services. The Agency accepts new applications from persons who wish to be registered as Palestine Refugees. Once they are registered with UNRWA, persons in this category are referred to as Registered Refugees or as Registered Palestine Refugees. UNRWA: FAQ : As of 2019, over 5.6 million Palestine refugees were registered as such with the Agency UNRWA : more than 1.5 million individuals, live in 58 recognized Palestine refugee camps in ... UNRWA : In the aftermath of the hostilities of June 1967 and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, ten camps were established to accommodate a new wave of displaced persons, both refugees and non-refugees. Perspectives on Palestinian repatriation . Unlike Jordan, Syria has maintained the stateless status of its Palestinians but has afforded them the same economic and social rights enjoyed by Syrian citizens. According to a 1956 law, Palestinians are treated as if they are Syrians "in all matters pertaining to...the rights of employment, work, commerce, and national obligations". As a consequence, Palestinians in Syria do not suffer from massive unemployment or underemployment "Profiles: Palestinian Refugees in SYRIA" . There are <ref group=fn> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ). There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).