Palestinians constitute the largest group of refugees in the world. Their fate is one of the most complex issues still awaiting a solution in the context of the 'final status' negotiations between the PNA and Israel. So far, no progress has been made, which is largely due to the controversy over how to define a ‘displaced’ Palestinian. The fate of the 1948 refugees is widely ignored.

The work of UNRWA, the United Nations agency charged with the welfare of the Palestine refugees, has provided them with essential humanitarian services, particularly in the fields of education, health, relief, services and employment opportunities.

Today over 3.6 million Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA. Of these, some 33% live inside one of the 59 UNRWA camps. Every year the Palestinian refugee population increases by almost 3%

The UNRWA definition of a ‘Palestine refugee’ was developed to meet a condition, not to satisfy a theory. It was elaborated for operational purposes to determine which persons were eligible for UNRWA assistance. 'Displaced persons' are people who fled in 1967; according to the UN's definition they are not refugees and as such they are not registered by UNRWA. However, the word 'refugee' should include all who were forced to leave their land in 1967 as well as in 1948; not to mention all the other Palestinians living abroad who require special Israeli permission if they are to visit their country.

For Israelis the term 'refugee' in the case of Palestinians who fled Israeli aggression is not applicable. Israelis believe that these people should have been absorbed by the neighboring Arab states. This is justified by the fact that the newly-created state of Israel absorbed more than 500,000 Jews from all over the Middle East.

Although UN Resolution 194 (December 1948) does not define the term ‘Palestinian refugee’, it stipulates that the refugees and their descendants have a right to compensation and repatriation to their original homes and land, because they have suffered 'loss of or damage to property, which, under principles of international law or in equity should be made good by the government or authorities responsible'.

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