Has Israel-Hamas war displaced Palestinian refugees forever?

Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, the hope for peace and the return of Palestinian refugees to their old homes has all but disappeared. DW explains why there are more Palestinian refugees today than in 1948, and how their legal status differs from that of other refugees.

How many Palestinian refugees are there?

The Palestinian population in the Middle East is estimated at seven million people whose legal status varies. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reports that it currently supports 5.9 million people in the region.

They live in 58 refugee camps across Jordan, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Lebanon (see map).

Palestinian refugees also live in Egypt, where an estimated 100,000 have fled since the the Israel-Hamas war broke out. There are also 1.5 million Palestinian Israelis who live in Israel.

Who is considered a refugee?

According to UNRWA, these refugees are defined as "persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period June 1, 1946 to May 15, 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict."

This also applies to "descendants of Palestine refugee males, including adopted children." As a result, the number of registered persons has risen from 750,000 in 1950 to almost six million today.

What are the living conditions for Palestinian refugees?

The everyday experience of many Palestinian refugees and their families is characterized by poverty and discrimination. In many Arab host countries, Palestinians cannot acquire citizenship and are therefore stateless.

Around 80% of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live below the national poverty line, according to UNRWA figures. They cannot buy property, are not allowed to work in all professions and have no access to the state education and healthcare systems.

In Jordan, around 2.3 million people are registered as Palestinian refugees. It is the only Arab country that has granted citizenship to this group—more than half of the Jordanian population is already of Palestinian origin.

The situation in Syria has steadily deteriorated due to the ongoing civil war. In 2021, a UNRWA survey revealed that 82% of registered Palestinian refugees were living in absolute poverty. Nevertheless, many are now returning to Syria due to the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

Why is there a refugee agency specifically for Palestinians?

UNRWA was established by UN Resolution 302 (IV) of December 8, 1949 and began its work on May 1, 1950. The UN General Assembly extended UNRWA's mandate in December 2022 to last until June 30, 2026.

The agency's task is to care for Palestinians who were displaced or forced to flee their homes as a result of the Arab-Israeli War and the founding of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, along with their descendants. Palestinians refer to this period as the "Nakba”—a catastrophe.

The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR is responsible for the protection of all other refugees and stateless persons worldwide. Like UNRWA, it was also founded in 1950.

The separation of responsibilities between the two agencies means that in countries such as Egypt, where Palestinian refugees are present but UNRWA is not, those affected live in a legal vacuum. This is because the UNHCR has no mandate to care for Palestinian refugees.

Why has Israel demanded the dissolution of UNRWA?

The Israeli government accuses UNRWA of being involved in the October 7 massacre, claiming that the aid organization is infiltrated by Hamas.

Following these allegations, several donor countries — including the United States, the European Union and Germany — suspended their payments to UNRWA.

The UN launched an internal investigation into the allegations. In a statement published on August 5, 2024, it said that nine UNRWA employees had been dismissed due to possible involvement in the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023. Allegations against ten other employees could not be substantiated.

Is there a right of return for Palestinians?

According to Article 11 of UN Resolution 194, all refugees have the right to return to their homes if they are willing to live in peace with their neighbors. In the eyes of the governments of many Arab states, this also applies to today's descendants of those displaced in 1948.

"The Nakba catastrophe is a defining source of identity for the Palestinian population. It underscores injustice," says Peter Lintl, a member of the Africa and Middle East department at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. In his view, the right of return "can only be resolved within the framework of peace negotiations and is only conceivable in a Palestinian state."

This article was originally published in German.