Topic analysis

Middle East: Palestinians mark Nakba anniversary

Palestinians have marked the Nakba anniversary as ceasefire conditions in the Gaza war deepen parallels with past displacement. Meanwhile, Israel has urged people in several Lebanese villages to leave. DW has more. Here is our coverage of the situation in the Middle East, including the  Iran war , on Friday, May 15. The United Arab Emirates has moved to speed up construction of an oil pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered state oil giant ADNOC to accelerate the project, according to official media. The pipeline is expected to be completed by 2027 and is aimed at securing export routes amid ongoing instability in the region. The Strait of Hormuz is a key global energy corridor, and disruptions there have raised concerns about oil supply and prices. The UAE's decision last month ‌to leave the OPEC and OPEC+ groups of oil-producing countries  is expected to boost its output.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Iran has said it is open to support from China to help resolve the Middle East conflict. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would welcome any diplomatic assistance. "We appreciate any country who has the ability to help, particularly China," he told reporters as he attended a meeting of the BRICS group of countries in India. "We have very good relations with China, we are strategic partners to each other, and we know that [the] Chinese have a good intention, so anything that can be done by them to help diplomacy would be welcomed by the Islamic Republic," Araghchi added. The comments came after talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping . Orphaned children in Gaza have taken part in a run held as part of Nakba commemorations. Aid group The Zaynab Project said the run was intended to honor the memory of displacement while giving children a chance to run, laugh and experience a moment of normality. "For one day, orphaned children in Gaza will have the chance to run, laugh, celebrate, and simply feel like children again," the group posted on Instagram ahead of the run. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon as tensions escalate despite a ceasefire. "The IDF has begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the area of Tyre in southern Lebanon," the army said in a statement, hours after issuing evacuation warnings for five towns and villages. The strikes came as Israel and Lebanon entered a second day of US-brokered talks in Washington aimed at easing hostilities. In a separate statement, the military said several explosive drones had fallen in northern Israel, with no injuries reported. The exchange of fire underscores the fragility of the truce, with violence continuing even as diplomatic efforts are underway. China has stressed the need to restore stability in the Gulf and has renewed calls for a lasting ceasefire in the Iran conflict , after talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said a comprehensive and permanent truce was essential and urged the reopening of key shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. "This conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue. Finding a solution sooner is beneficial to both the US and Iran, as well as to countries in the region and the world as a whole," the ministry said. Trump said Xi supported a negotiated settlement and had offered to help broker a deal. He also said the Chinese leader agreed Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons and should reopen the waterway. However, Xi did not comment on his discussions with Trump about Iran, while China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement outlining Beijing's frustration with the Iran war. Take a look at our blog on the aftermath of Trump's whirlwind China visit here . To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Israel's military has ordered residents of five villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of expected strikes against Hezbollah. The warning was issued Friday despite an existing ceasefire with Lebanon, with the army citing alleged violations by Iran-backed  Hezbollah . "In light of the terrorist Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Defense Army is compelled to act against it forcefully," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X. He listed five villages near the city of Tyre, on the south Lebanon coast. "For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and stay away from the villages and towns by a distance of no less than 1,000 metres [0.62 miles]," he added. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Millions of Palestinians have been marking the 78th anniversary of the Nakba , as a ceasefire in Gaza remains in place. The term, meaning "catastrophe," refers to the mass displacement of around 750,000 Palestinians during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel. This is the third Nakba commemoration since the Gaza war began in October 2023. The current ceasefire is doing little to ease the humanitarian strain on the territory's more than 2 million people, with many still confined to a reduced coastal area. Survivors of the 1948 events have drawn comparisons between past and present. One 78-year-old witness described the current conditions as "indescribable" and "unbearable," despite the pause in fighting. Historically, about 80% of Palestinians living in what became Israel were displaced during the war, and around 530 villages were destroyed, according to Palestinian statistics. Many refugees and their descendants — now numbering around 6 million — remain across the region, including in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Gaza. Hello and welcome to DW's coverage of developments across the wider Middle East, including the  ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran , on Friday, 15 May, 2026. Millions of Palestinians are marking the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, with a fragile ceasefire in Gaza shaping this year's remembrance. The Nakba refers to the displacement of around 750,000 Palestinians during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel. You can catch up on Middle East developments earlier this week here .