Palestinians were forced to flee or were expelled from their homes and lands at the time of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and again when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967. Many of them took refuge in Lebanon, where they remain today, together with their descendents.
There are today about 400,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and the majority of them live in overcrowded refugee camps. Until there is a recognized Palestinian state or until the Lebanese government amends its laws, Palestinians do not have the right to work or to receive social security. They do not have the right to own or inherit property.