Every year on May 15, Palestinians mark Nakba Day to commemorate the ethnic cleansing of Palestine upon the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Zionist forces expelled about 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands between 1947 and 1949, capturing 78 percent of historical Palestine. Today, Palestinians and their supporters commemorate the Nakba – “catastrophe” in Arabic – with marches, protests and other events. As Israel continues its deadly military bombardment of Gaza and tries to push Palestinians out of the coastal enclave, many observers say the Nakba never ended.