The second major group of displaced
Palestinians is comprised of those displaced
for the first time from their homes and
country in the context of the 1967 War, and
their descendants. The total number of 1967
Palestinian refugees is estimated at 1,331,311
persons (see 2.4.4 in Notes regarding
estimates about this group).
Internally displaced Palestinians can be
divided into two groups. The first is composed
of persons displaced in 1948 Palestine. This
group includes those who were displaced
during the Nakba, (46,000 Palestinians,207
today amounting to approximately 439,171
persons) as well as those displaced internally
in the years after. The second group
(approximately 372,793 persons) is composed
Home demolition in Beit hanina, Jerusalem. (Source: al-ayyam.ps)
of Palestinians internally displaced within the
oPt since 1967 as a result of Israel’s policies of colonization, forcible transfer, and apartheid.
This figure includes Palestinian refugees who suffered secondary forced displacement inside
the oPt, but due to the lack of official and comprehensive records, the category of 1967
IDPs includes an unknown number of 1948 refugees (see 2.4.5 and 2.4.6 in Notes regarding
estimates about 1948 IDPs and 1967 IDPs). While no authoritative data exists for this second
category, thousands of Palestinians are at risk of displacement today due to Israeli forcible
transfer policies, including the lack of up-to-date Master Plans, inadequate allocation and
zoning of land, insufficient provision of financial resources and services for Palestinian use,
and exhausting procedures for Palestinians to obtain Israeli-issued permits for construction.208
, 209, 210
207
See BADIL, ‘Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2013-2015’ (2015) VIII Survey of
Palestinian Refugees & IDPs, 53 [hereinafter BADIL, Survey of Palestinian Refugees 2013-2015] <http://www.badil.
org/phocadownloadpap/badil-new/publications/survay/Survey2013-2015-en.pdf> accessed 3 October 2022.
208
BADIL, Denial of Access (n 87).
209
OCHA, Data on Demolition (n 137).
210
Roald Høvring, ‘10 things you should know about the evictions in East Jerusalem’ (Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), 11
November 2021) <https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2021/10-things-you-should-know-about-the-evictions-in-eastjerusalem/> accessed 3 October 2022.
41
2
Between January 2019 and August 2022, Israel
displaced 3,702 Palestinians in the West Bank and
east Jerusalem as a result of home demolitions
and property confiscation.209 Forcible seizure
of Palestinian homes contributes to the
existence of a coercive environment that leads
to displacement. In east Jerusalem, especially in
recent years, the Israeli government, along with
colonizer organizations, have intensified their
efforts to take control of Palestinian properties
located in close proximity to Jerusalem’s Old
City. This includes homes in Sheikh Jarrah
and Silwan. As of the end of 2021, the UN
recorded that about 218 Palestinian households
in Jerusalem have eviction cases filed against
them, most initiated by colonizer organization.
Approximately 970 people, including 424
children, are at risk of forcible displacement.210
Chapter
(often referred to as “registered refugees” or
“Palestine refugees”), and a further 1.2 million
refugees who were also displaced during the
Nakba (1947-1949), but are not eligible or did
not register for assistance with UNRWA (see
2.4.2 and 2.4.3 in Notes regarding estimates
about this group).