Jerusalem, May 15 (IANS): Friday marks the 67th anniversary of the Nakba, the Arabic word for catastrophe used to refer to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and subsequent displacement of the Palestinian people, who are commemorating the day with demonstrations and protests in different parts of the West Bank.

Mass rallies have been organised in the town of Bilin, a place that symbolises opposition to the Israeli separation wall and the confiscation of Palestinian land by settlers, and near the Israeli prison in Ofer, near Ramallah, where two Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire last year, Efe news agency reported.

"The Nakba did not end with the creation of Israel, but it is an ongoing process targeting Palestinian displacement and replacement with 'Greater Israel' at the expense of Palestinian people and their rights," Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) explained.

"In 1948, Israel destroyed 531 Palestinian towns and villages and took control of 774 others to force more than 800,000 Palestinians to become refugees," she added.

"The Palestinian refugees' crisis remains a disastrous challenge that should be solved by the international community in accordance with international laws and conventions," particularly for those who wish to return home, she noted.

Ashrawi put forth the way forward: "We will continue diplomatic and multilateral initiatives to safeguard the rights of the Palestinian people and ensure self-determination, independence and justice for all Palestinians. We will continue joining the international organisations and agencies, in addition to proceeding with our efforts to hold Israel accountable before the International Court of Justice and other organisations."