• Palestinian refugee Abdul Ghafour Abdulrahman, 85, who witnessed what the Palestinians call the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe” referring to their uprooting in the war over Israel’s 1948 creation, sits in front of a wall painted with a mural depicting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Kalandia refugee camp, between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah.
    Palestinian refugee Abdul Ghafour Abdulrahman, 85, who witnessed what the Palestinians call the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe” referring to their uprooting in the war over Israel’s 1948 creation, sits in front of a wall painted with a mural depicting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Kalandia refugee camp, between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah.
  • Palestinian refugee Mahmoud Almansi, 79, in the West Bank refugee camp of Al-Amari, where he has lived since the age of 13. A lifetime has passed since hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out their homes in the Mideast war over Israel’s 1948 creation.
    Palestinian refugee Mahmoud Almansi, 79, in the West Bank refugee camp of Al-Amari, where he has lived since the age of 13. A lifetime has passed since hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out their homes in the Mideast war over Israel’s 1948 creation.
  • Palestinian refugee Layla Afaneh, 67, in front of a wall painted with a mural in the Kalandia refugee camp in Ramallah. Layla was a year and a half old when she and seven other members of her family were forced to leave their village of Barfeelia, near the central Israeli town of Ramla, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out their homes in the Mideast war over Israel’s 1948 creation.
    Palestinian refugee Layla Afaneh, 67, in front of a wall painted with a mural in the Kalandia refugee camp in Ramallah. Layla was a year and a half old when she and seven other members of her family were forced to leave their village of Barfeelia, near the central Israeli town of Ramla, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out their homes in the Mideast war over Israel’s 1948 creation.
  • Palestinian refugee Ibraheem Fayaleh, 80, who witnessed what the Palestinians call the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe” referring to their uprooting in the war over Israel’s 1948 creation, in Kalandia refugee camp between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah. He was 14 years old when he and 11 other members of his family were forced to leave their village of Saris, and took shelter with his family in Kalandia refugee camp.
    Palestinian refugee Ibraheem Fayaleh, 80, who witnessed what the Palestinians call the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe” referring to their uprooting in the war over Israel’s 1948 creation, in Kalandia refugee camp between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah. He was 14 years old when he and 11 other members of his family were forced to leave their village of Saris, and took shelter with his family in Kalandia refugee camp.
  • Palestinian refugee Jamilah Shalabi, 70, in front of a wall painted with a mural in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin, where she has lived since she was 4 years old when she and her parents were forced to leave their home in Zarin village.
    Palestinian refugee Jamilah Shalabi, 70, in front of a wall painted with a mural in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin, where she has lived since she was 4 years old when she and her parents were forced to leave their home in Zarin village.
  • Palestinian refugee Ameenah al-Saadi, 90, looks on at the entrance of her home in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin. She was 24 years old when she and her husband were forced to leave their home in Zarin village near the the northern Israeli town of Beit Shean.
    Palestinian refugee Ameenah al-Saadi, 90, looks on at the entrance of her home in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin. She was 24 years old when she and her husband were forced to leave their home in Zarin village near the the northern Israeli town of Beit Shean.
  • Palestinian refugee Ali Abu Jabal, 73, in front of a wall painted with a mural depicting the holy land, in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin. The man was 7 years old when he and his parents were forced to leave their home in the Israeli city of Haifa during what the Palestinians call the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe” referring to their uprooting in the war over Israel’s 1948 creation.
    Palestinian refugee Ali Abu Jabal, 73, in front of a wall painted with a mural depicting the holy land, in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin. The man was 7 years old when he and his parents were forced to leave their home in the Israeli city of Haifa during what the Palestinians call the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe” referring to their uprooting in the war over Israel’s 1948 creation.
  • Palestinian refugee Mohammed Emtair, 85, poses for a picture in front of a mural depicting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in the Kalandia refugee camp between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah.
    Palestinian refugee Mohammed Emtair, 85, poses for a picture in front of a mural depicting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in the Kalandia refugee camp between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The Dream of Return by Muhammed Muheisen / AP

Robert Mickelson

June 21, 2014

  • English
  • Arabic

According to U.N. figures, more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven out in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Today, those who were uprooted and their descendants number more than 5 million and are scattered across the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The refugees remember the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe” which resulted in their uprooting following the war and Israel’s subsequent 1948 statehood status. To commemorate World Refugge Day on June 20, Associated Press Photographer Muhammed Muheisen shot portraits of older Palestinians living in refugee camps scattered across the Middle East. In doing research for the photo shoot, Muhammed found colourful murals, street art and graffiti as backdrops to contextualize the turbulent Palestinian conflict which continues to rage on.

Photos Muhammed Muheisen / Associated Press

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