Palestinian refugees' right to return 'sacred, non-negotiable': Hamas

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
20 Jun 2024 14:48
3 Shares

Hamas says the epics written by the Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and al-Quds' camps are evidence of the deep-rootedness of Palestinian refugees in their land.

Listen

Palestinians look at the aftermath of the Israeli strike on a UN-run school that killed dozens of people in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, June 6, 2024. (AP)

Operation Al-Aqsa Flood has brought global attention back to the Palestinian refugee issue, highlighted its justice, and thwarted attempts to obscure it, Hamas said Thursday on World Refugee Day, calling for enabling the Palestinian people's rights to freedom, independence, and the end of the occupation.

In a statement, the movement hailed the active role of Palestinian refugees in their rallying behind the Resistance during Al-Aqsa Flood, emphasizing that the epics written by the Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and occupied al-Quds' camps are evidence of the deep-rootedness of Palestinian refugees in their land, their commitment to their rights, and their embrace of the Resistance until the occupation is defeated.

Hamas pointed out that refugee camps, both inside and outside occupied Palestine, are among the most prominent witnesses embodying the Nakba (catastrophe) since 1948 – when Zionist gangs displaced more than 57% of Palestinians from their land – and the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people.

At the same time, according to the movement, these camps have been a source of insistence on adhering to principles, a symbol of resisting all attempts to eliminate the right of return, and a landmark of the struggle and resistance against the occupation.

Right to return is sacred

Hamas underlined that the right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their homes is a sacred, non-negotiable right that is passed down through generations, reiterating its absolute rejection of any solutions that attempt to nullify this right.

The movement called on Palestinian refugees, both inside and among the diaspora, to strengthen their unity in the face of the Israeli occupation's schemes and aggressive projects, and to preserve their camps as symbols of resistance and unity.

It also expressed its rejection of all Israeli attempts, supported by the United States, to eliminate the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

It reiterated the direct responsibility of this UN agency to continuously provide its services to all Palestinian refugees, especially in Gaza, amid the genocide being committed by the Israeli occupation against defenseless civilians, refugees, and displaced persons.

The Palestinian group emphasized that the commemoration of World Refugee Day by the United Nations and countries worldwide, amid the ongoing war on Gaza which has exacerbated the conditions of refugees and displaced persons since October 7, places everyone before a humanitarian, legal, and moral responsibility to put an end to the continuous Israeli aggression against Palestinian refugees in the camps of Gaza, the West Bank, and occupied al-Quds.

Moreover, Hamas called on the United Nations, the international community, all countries hosting Palestinian refugees, and all human rights and humanitarian organizations to fulfill their responsibilities in protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees, ensuring a free and dignified life for them, and supporting their steadfastness and struggle.

According to UNRWA figures, some 5.9 million Palestine refugees are eligible for its services, with more than 1.5 million individuals living in 58 recognized Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including the eastern part of al-Quds.