The refugees in 1948 thought they would return after “a few days or even hours”

Painter and writer Muhammad Al-Jalous: "My grandmother on my mother's side used to tell us, when we were children, the story of the Nakba (i.e., "the catastrophe," Palestinian term for establishment of Israel). She would tell us how they left Palestine, how they left their furniture, their belongings, their documents, everything. That is, the whole matter revolved around leaving for a few days, maybe a few hours, and then [they were supposed] to return."

[Official PA TV, Scenes, Sept. 1, 2026]

The speaker is a resident of the Al-Wihdat refugee camp in Jordan.