"Al Nakba"--The Palestinian Catastrophe of 1948 (Video) 1 discussions "Al Nakba" means "the catastophe" in Arabic. This word refers to the devastation of Palestinian society during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, when Zionists ethnically cleansed Palestinians form their home.. Tags: al nakba catastrophe palestine palestinians 1948 israel israelis zionism war refugee camps poverty ethnic cleansing