78th Nakba Day: Palestinians Mark 1948 Mass Expulsion Amid Intensifying Gaza War

Palestinians worldwide marked the 78th anniversary of the Nakba ('catastrophe') on May 15, 2026 — the 1948 mass displacement of approximately 750,000 Palestinians during the founding of the State of Israel. This year's commemoration came on Day 947 of the Israel-Gaza war, with Nakba Day protests organized in over 60 cities globally including London (projected 500,000+), Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, and Amman. In Gaza itself, Palestinians displaced for the 6th or 7th time since October 2023 marked the day amid Israeli air and ground strikes. The Washington Post reported Palestinians in Gaza saying 'today's catastrophe is worse' than the original Nakba, citing the combination of mass killing, famine, disease outbreaks, and deliberate infrastructure destruction. Al Jazeera's gallery coverage documented 'millions of Palestinians marking 78 years since the Nakba' — the largest global commemorations in years. The Israeli government did not comment officially on Nakba Day. Solace Global's risk assessment issued prior to the date warned of significant protest activity in major cities and potential security incidents at Israeli embassies and consulates. Palestinian flags, kufiyyas, and maps of pre-1948 Palestine were prominent in the marches, alongside calls for an immediate Gaza ceasefire and ICC enforcement of the arrest warrant against Netanyahu.