BADIL

The Humanitarian Crisis in Lebanon
As a result of the two prisoners of war taken by Hezbollah, Israel began attacking Lebanon on July 12, 2006. Israel’s army immediately began bombing Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure. As of 1 September 2006, 1,187 had been killed, 4,092 injured, and about 970,000 persons had been displaced during the conflict. 40 Israeli civilians were killed in Israel. Civilians make up the majority of the dead in Lebanon.

Forced displacement is not a new phenomenon for the Palestinian people, whose displacement is ongoing and in fact, an incremental part of the conflict. The Wall and its associated regime are a continuation of this policy as they alter the demographic composition of the occupied Palestinian territories. The international community has however failed to recognize, prevent
and respond to forced displacement.

“I believed that we, the Palestinians, had the right to return only because we owned this land before Israel was established.
Now, I know that the Palestinian refugees’ rights are more than a national right; they are a human and legal right, that all people and states must ensure and respect.” Layan, 15, Lajee Children’s Center, Aida camp. Resilience, resistance and the ability to maintain the struggle for freedom and fundamental rights are based on the heritage and knowledge of older generations and the energy and new skills of the Palestinian youth.

The first years of displacement
Israeli officials who made the decision to prevent the return of the displaced to their villages, were guided by three main considerations: first, the state need for land for housing projects to absorb Jewish immigrants expected from Europe and the Arab states; second, some villages were located in areas considered of strategic importance by the military, and, fearing another war with Arab states (with the aid of the Palestinians), the Israeli authorities decided not to leave these villages in Arab hands. The third and last consideration had a vengeful and punitive dimension: Israel wanted Arabs to suffer the consequences of their rejection of the United Nations Partition Plan and of starting the war.

“This camp is a clear message to the Israelis that the Palestinian people are able to survive and maintain their national identity and collective memory even in the most difficult times”, said Salah Ajarmeh, director of the local Lajee Children’s Center and coordinator of the special summer-camp administrative committee which had worked hard for weeks to see this moment arrive.
Despite the fact that Israel’s brutal “Operation Summer Rain” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had just begun, causing much apprehension also in the West Bank, all groups arrived, from Fawwar camp in the south, Aqbat Jaber in Jericho, to Far’ah in the north.