Today (Nov. 29) marks the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People, which coincides with the Palestinian Nakba, a massacre that took place during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
The toll of this catastrophe was about 800,000 Palestinians being driven out of their homes and the first war between Arab states and the Zionist regime in 1948 also resulted in forced evictions of an indigenous population by an occupying force.
In his message on this day, the UN Chief said: "International Day of Solidarity comes during one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Palestinian people. I am horrified by the death and destruction that have engulfed the region, which is overwhelmed with pain, anguish and heartache."
"Palestinians in Gaza are suffering a humanitarian catastrophe. Almost 1.7 million people have been forced from their homes – but nowhere is safe. Meanwhile, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, risks boiling over," he added.
On that day, in 1947, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine. “The resolution on the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People also encourages Member States to continue to give the widest support and publicity to the observance of the Day of Solidarity," the UN said in a statement.
"The day serves as a reminder that close to 6 million Palestinians remain refugees to this day, scattered throughout the region," the statement noted.
The League of Arab States on Tuesday commemorated this day at the Palestinian Embassy in New Delhi, amid war with Israel.
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