This Article is From May 15, 2014

Palestinians Mark Their 1948 Displacement

Palestinians Mark Their 1948 Displacement

Palestinians hold torches marking the 66th anniversary of 'Nakba' or 'catastrophe' referring to their uprooting in the war over Israel's 1948 creation, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on May 14, 2014.

Ramallah, West Bank: Palestinians are marching to commemorate their displacement in the 1948 Mideast war that followed the establishment of the state of Israel.

Sirens wailed at noon on Thursday in Ramallah and across the West Bank for 66 seconds to symbolize the number of years since the "Nakba," or "catastrophe" - the term Palestinians use to describe their defeat and displacement in that war.

Demonstrations and marches are being held in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Israel overcame the armies of surrounding Arab states as well as local Arabs who attacked after the Jewish state was declared in 1948.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out during the fighting.

This year, the commemoration comes as US-brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed last month.

.