The Dream of Return by Muhammed Muheisen / AP

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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