TRENTON, Canada

Leaders of pro-Palestinian supporters gathered Thursday on Parliament Hill to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the “Nakba,” or “Catastrophe,” that refers to “the displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war,” according to the UN.

The horrific events of the past are continuing to this day and are marked May 15 by millions of Palestinians around the world.

“(A)s we stand here now, the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip are enduring what can only be seen as a second Nakba,” Stephen Brown, chief executive officer of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), said at a news conference.

“Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US President Donald Trump have openly spoken about plans to ethnically cleanse Gaza of 2.5 million Palestinians ahead of annexing the area. And they aren’t just talking about it -- they are actively mobilizing, clearing land, and doing exactly what they are promising to do.”

Trump has threatened the sovereignty of Canada, Greenland and Gaza, “an unprecedented situation,” said Brown. Trump wants to turn Gaza into a sun-filled tourist destination.

It is in this dark atmosphere that Brown said he is proud to present the Act for Canada to Stand for Human Rights and Peace in the Middle East, also known as “The Nakba Bill.”

Among other measures, the bill demands May 15 to be marked as Nakba Day, Canada recognizes Palestinian statehood, Canada bans the export of all weapons and exports to Israel and Canada reforms its stance to allow Palestinians in Gaza to be more easily united with families in Canada.

“We are already in productive conversations with Parliamentarians about the (Nakba) model legislation and are optimistic that we can work constructively at real policy solutions to stand up against the threats of US annexation both here and abroad,” said Brown.