Across generations more than 7 million refugees have been forced to abandon their homes and their cultures. It must be brought to an end. 

Allow me to paint a picture for you. An impenetrable warzone separates you from your family as bombs clatter against the little shelter that your family can find. Soldiers who would kill you on sight for merely trying to reach your family surround you on all fronts, so all you can do is wait. Wait till the day that you no longer can get to your family, when your children no longer ask when you will return while all you want to do is return so, at the very least, you can spend your last moments with those you love.

Sounds like a cruel joke, right? Maybe even like a 'living hell'? Well, that's the reality that Abbas* and millions of Palestinian refugees spend every day living in. 

Abbas is a loving husband, father of four and caretaker of his brothers and sisters who commuted every day for work from his home in the Gaza Strip to the hostile Israel. He had been in the midst of his weeks-long shift on Oct. 7th, 2023. Hamas – a Palestinian militant group – invaded Israel while he was at work and killed 1200 Israeli civilians, taking another 250 captive. This unprecedented attack sparked a running conflict and prohibited any chance for Abbas – an innocent Palestinian – to return home. 

Forced into the mountains to avoid Israeli soldiers who had begun assaulting, oppression, and causing Palestinian workers to "disappear," Abbas eventually made it into the few remaining UNRWA Palestinian refugee camps in the "West Bank." Conditions in these camps are horrible, with little food and thousands sleeping on the rocky terrain. Yet, Abbas can think of nothing but his family and the horrible conditions that they experience in Gaza.

 

What has been done?

The only semblance of safety that Abbas was able to find was the UNRWA refugee camp, which was formed briefly after the beginning of the original Arab-Israeli war. Working within 58 refugee camps across the world, UNRWA is doing incredible work, but it is not a solution. Many within the camp lack frequent access to food and endure extremely harsh sleeping conditions, as Abbas described.

However, there is only so much UNRWA has been able to do as it is not a solution; it was designed as a temporary measure while conflict settled in the region. And as this war has dragged on, sending millions more refugees into the camps, there is a pressing need for a peace treaty within the area that allows Palestinians to return to their homes. 

Unfortunately, there has been very little success in the production of a workable treaty:

1. 1948-1949, Arab-Israeli War - Ended in a ceasefire ~13000 Palestinians and ~6000 Israelis killed and 275 000 Palestinian refugees.
2. 
   1967, Israeli Preemptive Strike ("Six-Day War") - Ended in a ceasefire with Israel occupying the West Bank and Gaza. ~17000 Arab Coalition casualties and ~700 Israelis killed.  >1 000 000  Palestinians occupied. ~300 000 Palestine Refugees, and ~100 000 Syrian Refugees
3. 
   The 1973 Yom-Kippur War - Ended in a ceasefire that benefitted relations between Israel, Egypt, and Syria but said nothing for Palestinians. 
4. 
   1987, First Intifada - The uprising is crushed, but an organization known as Hamas forms as an offshoot of this uprising. ~ 1300 Palestinians and ~ 200 Israelis were killed.
5. 
   2000, Second Intifada - Rebellion is again crushed. ~ 4000 Palestinians and 1000 Israelis were killed.
6. 
   2008, Israeli Strike on Hamas occupied Gaza - Preemptive strike of ~800 rockets sparks a month-long war before another ceasefire. ~ 1400 Palestinians and ~1100 Israelis killed.
7. 
   2023, Hamas attack on Israel - Invasion of Israel by Hamas soldiers, ongoing. ~44 500 Palestinians killed, ~1700 Israelis killed, ~1.9 million Palestinian refugees.

Seven major conflicts within eighty years, countless skirmishes, and "peace" was declared in the region each time. There is no peace, and there is no ceasing the endless torment of the people inside and outside of the warzone.

What can you do?

Governments puzzle over the situation in the Middle East, and its the subject of debate within political circles. Still, not enough has been done to mediate the problem because not enough people know about the devastating conflict that plagues our fellow humans.

Short term:  

Education: I am a high school student. I have not experienced the devastation of the situation myself, and I do not know the intricacies of every aspect of this generational conflict, but the greatest step I can take is to educate myself. So, I call on you to read the perspectives of those forced from their homes, as Abbas was.

Abbas's Story
50 Stories of Palestinian Life Under Occupation
A Million Stories

Donate: UNRWA, Doctors Without Borders (DWB), and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) have all been involved in Palestine and Gaza aid relief. They have distributed millions of relief items and lost hundreds of brave souls providing services to the region's refugees. With Israel working to remove humanitarian aid to refugees, even a small donation provides food and clothing for those no longer able to return home.

UNRWA
DWB
PRCS

Long term:

Spread Awareness: Not enough of the world knows of the horrors in the Middle East. So please, I call upon you now that you have read what I have had to say and done your research, share your findings, share the stories you have found, and help the stories of millions not be forgotten.

Apply pressure on your community to face the millions they'd rather ignore: Be aware of the policies regarding the refugee crisis. If your nation, leader, and community would shun people from safety while they fight for a way to return home, open your arms to them and stand up for those who no longer can themselves. Be a hero in their eyes.
 

 Become a Hero:

Sign this petition as a commitment to serve the world and help humanity aid and remember the millions who have had their home, places of worship, and families stolen from them. Be a part of the force that someday will bring Abbas home to his family.

 

* - Alias intended to ensure the safety of family and persons.