In the summer of 2024, a race against time unfolded as humanitarian workers embarked on a daring mission to safeguard the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) archives, a treasure trove of Palestinian history. This secret operation, spanning 10 months, aimed to protect documents detailing the experiences of Palestinians during the 1948 wars, a pivotal moment in the region's history. The journey from East Jerusalem to Amman was not merely a physical one; it was a testament to the resilience of those dedicated to preserving a nation's memory.
The UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem, a hub of Palestinian history, found itself under threat. Israeli efforts to expel the agency and right-wing groups' targeting created an atmosphere of urgency. The archives, containing registration cards, birth certificates, and more, were not just historical records; they were a lifeline to Palestinian identity and a potential key to a just solution to the conflict. Roger Hearn, a senior UNRWA official, emphasized their importance, stating that their destruction would be catastrophic, as they provide irrefutable evidence of Palestinian existence in specific places.
The operation's first stage was a dramatic and risky endeavor. As Israel invaded Gaza, UNRWA's offices were ordered to evacuate, leaving behind vital archives. The risk of Israeli forces destroying the documents or a potential cyber-attack loomed large. Sam Rose, the acting director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, described the situation as dire, with the potential for both physical and digital destruction. The small team of UNRWA officials braved the ongoing airstrikes and shelling to retrieve the documents, making three trips to a food warehouse in Rafah, on the Egyptian border.
However, Egypt's cooperation was contingent on Israel's approval, which was unlikely given the Israeli blockade on Gaza. UNRWA officials, armed with international passports, had to secretly transport the archives out of Gaza. Rose recounted the challenge, emphasizing the sheer volume of documents and the need for discretion. Over the next six months, the documents were collated in Egypt and transported by a Jordanian charity using military planes, ensuring their safe passage to Amman.
But the mission wasn't over yet. Another set of equally significant documents in the East Jerusalem compound needed urgent rescue. With time running out, UNRWA staff secretly transferred these documents to Jordan, facing the threat of Israeli laws barring the agency from Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. In Amman, a new effort was launched to digitize the archives, funded primarily by Luxembourg.
The digitizing process, led by over 50 UNRWA staff in a cramped basement, was a labor of love. The goal was to provide every Palestinian refugee with their family tree and supporting documents, as well as build maps of displacement patterns in 1948. Dr. Anne Irfan, a historian, emphasized the archives' significance, stating that they provide a vital record of Palestinian national history, especially for a stateless people without a unified national archive. The digitized archives open avenues for inquiry into the experiences of Palestinian refugees, the role of the UN and international community, and the contested history of the Middle East.
As the operation concludes, the archives are now protected, and the work of preserving Palestinian history continues. The journey from East Jerusalem to Amman is a testament to the determination of those dedicated to safeguarding a nation's memory, even in the face of adversity. This story raises deeper questions about the importance of historical preservation and the impact of political decisions on the lives of those affected by them.
