Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Mahmoud Zahar opposes resettleme​nt of Palestinia​n refugees


By Hiyam Noir
Monday October 10, 2011

On Saturday, October 9, one of the leaders of Hamas political bureau, Dr. Mahmoud Zahar, Gaza, meet in Lebanon with the chairman of the Loyalty to the Resistance, Mohammed Raad, as well as a delegation of Hamas movement’s political officials in the Beirut area of Raafat, including the assistant of the Palestinian registry of Hezbollah, Sheikh Atallah Hamoud.

At the initiation of the meetings, Mahmoud Zahar disputed a point of great concerns; he opposed resettlement of Palestinian refugees, emphasizing Palestinian refugee’s rights to return to their own homes, from where they were expelled.

Zahar said:

"We do not consider to re -settling our people, we demand the fundamental rights of our refugees to return to their homes. We need a genuine social and humanitarian policy in which the Palestinian people can achieve their dreams of liberation and a safe return. "

On his part, Mohammed Raad emphasized; “Full support of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to live their lives in dignity and with pride."

The deliberations of the meeting, brought into light the latest developments on the Palestinian arena, concerning regional issues and the conditions of refugee camps in Lebanon and the Palestinian reconciliation – as well as the development of the soon five - year long siege on Gaza. Concerning the prevailing circumstances of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Dr Zahar said that; their life conditions are not acceptable, there is “a wrong policy pursued towards them”.

In his elongated speech to the people of the refugee camp he said that he felt - “ pain of what he experienced as a tragedy unfolding in the camps of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon”, he compared the life of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon to the life of the Palestinians in Gaza, and he said that: despite of the great suffering from the embargo in Gaza, the Israeli attacks and assassination campaigns, which is continuing in the occupied territories as fair functioning, compared with the living-conditions in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

The meeting on Saturday also brought up the situation of particularly civil and human rights groups, and how to improve their conditions. In addition the parties also discussed how to improve the life in the region so that Palestinian refugees would be able to return to their homeland with dignity, emphasizing that the Palestinians shattered across the region and the Palestinians abroad never left Palestine free willingly, and that the Palestinian home land always is in their mind.

The Hamas leader will also meet the Secretary General of the Arab League, Nabil el-Araby, to forward a request to urgently pressure the Lebanese government to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians. Improved living conditions will contribute to civil and human rights. Dr. Zahar emphasized that the granting of civil and human rights will protect and support Palestinian steadfastness and resistance from the settlement projects planned for Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria and in Egypt, Mahmoud Zahar added: “the recognition of civil and human rights in Lebanon will not abandon the struggle for civil and human rights of Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestine territories, because this subject is crucial and remain as a constant memento in every cell of my body.”

Dr. Mahmoud Zahar call upon UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, and the Lebanese governments attention to render its fundamental responsibility towards Palestinian refugees, to accelerate the reconstruction process and to secure necessary founding’s to finish what is required of them. Before he ended his visit, he continued to a construction site of newly built, residential apartment buildings and stopped at the site of the temporary steel housing ( Albaraksat), where Dr. Mahmoud Zahar listened to complaints from the residents.

At the end of Zahar’s visit - a luncheon was held in honor of the prominent guest together with the elder residents of the camp, members of the Peoples Committee, and representatives of Palestinian factions and institutions, also the city representatives of Tripoli and northern Lebanon counties participated.

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