ISTANBUL

Hundreds of protesters in Australia’s Melbourne gathered on Sunday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of Nakba, the forced displacement of Palestinians in 1948, public broadcaster ABC reported.

The anniversary of Nakba, which is “catastrophe” in Arabic, falls on May 15 each year.

"We mourn and reflect on the violent ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of over 750,000 Palestinians during 1948 and reinforce their right to return," organizers of the march said.

A large crowd assembled at the State Library and marched toward St Kilda Beach, passing by the US consulate.

Demonstrators were heard chanting "Free, free Palestine" and beating drums as they walked through the streets.

Rallies were also held in Adelaide and Brisbane.

In 1948, more than 700,000 Palestinians were displaced from their towns and villages.

The Israeli army has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, killing more than 53,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The UN has warned that nearly 2 million people are at risk of famine as Israel has banned all food, shelter, medicine and other goods from entering the Gaza Strip since March 2.