WASHINGTON 

US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced a resolution Wednesday to recognize the Palestinian Nakba, the term referring to the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland during the creation of Israel in 1948.

"The Nakba never ended. Today we are witnessing the Israeli apartheid regime carry out genocide in Gaza. It is a campaign to erase Palestinians from existence," Tlaib said in a statement.

She said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to "ethnically cleanse" the entire Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip and permanently occupy it.

"As we mark the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, we honor all of those killed since the ethnic cleansing of Palestine began, and the Palestinians who were forced from their homes and violently displaced from their land.

"This immense trauma, including the loss of their loved ones and connections to the communities they grew up in, needs to be repaired. True peace must be built on justice," she added.

Israel has kept Gaza crossings closed to food, medical and humanitarian aid since March 2, deepening an already humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

More than 52,900 Palestinians, primarily women and children, have been killed in Gaza during Israel's military offensive since October 2023.