Three years of the West Bank’s ‘third Nakba’

The occupied West Bank continues to be a landscape of profound human suffering and displacement, with Palestinian communities facing a relentless wave of violence and dispossession. The term "third Nakba" is increasingly used by residents to describe the ongoing crisis, a stark reference to the original Nakba in 1948 when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from their homes during the establishment of Israel. This latest wave of displacement and violence, particularly affecting Bedouin communities like the Kaabneh family, has been amplified since October 7, 2023. The article details the harrowing experience of Abu Najjeh, the leader of the Ein Samiya Bedouin community, who has witnessed his community forcibly displaced seven times since 1948. His family, like many others, is constantly reacting to immediate crises, living in makeshift tents and facing the uncertainty of where to go next. The recent killing of 16-year-old Yousef Kaabneh by armed Israeli settlers in Jiljilyya, a town where his family had sought refuge, underscores the pervasive danger. Settlers, emboldened by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and what is described as the cover of Israel's "genocidal war," have ramped up attacks, seizing land and terrorizing Palestinian communities. These actions, often occurring in areas designated under Palestinian Authority control where Israeli civilians are prohibited, highlight a systematic effort to dispossess Palestinians. The Kaabneh family's history of expulsions, dating back to before 1948 when they lived in the Naqab Desert, illustrates the enduring trauma and the cyclical nature of their dispossession. The article powerfully conveys the desperation and lack of options faced by these communities, asking the poignant question: "Where is there to go?" This narrative is a critical reminder of the daily realities for Palestinians in the West Bank, a reality often overshadowed by international focus on other conflicts, but one that represents a continuous and devastating loss of home, land, and life.

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This is not a proper place to live – that’s why I’m in a hurry … waiting for a car to take me