Palestinian people will return home

Hamas representative in Lebanon Ali Baraka Gaza - Mohammed Habib In an exclusive interview with Arabstoday, Hamas representative in Lebanon, Ali Baraka, stressed the need to develop a unified national strategy to help Palestinian refugees return to their displaced towns and villages, dating back to 1948. Baraka, who is visiting the Gaza Strip, highlighted the need to invest into the Palestinian issue to “achieve victory over the Israeli occupation.” He considered the current situation in Palestine a “prelude to victory and a demise of the occupation.” Ali Baraka confirmed that Palestine Liberation Organisation’s initial pool plan began in 2005, but as Israel has been persistent with waging a war, this has prevented the group from achieving their aim. With regards to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Baraka said: “Despite the poor living conditions in the Palestinian camps, their morale is high and they are sticking to their land.” However, he added that the situation has worsened following an influx of around 500,000 Palestinian refugees arriving from Syria. Ali Baraka warned against the dangers of Palestinian parties becoming involved in the complexities of the political and religious situation in Lebanon. He perceived that such involvement might cause sedition, fighting and eradicate the symbolic meaning of the Palestinian cause.“Hamas stands on the fence when it comes to internal Lebanese parties and their different issues” he stressed. The Hamas representative refused to "liquidate the Palestinian cause" by resettling Palestinian refugees into Arab and Muslim countries. He denounced accusations against Hamas trying to resettle Palestinians in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, and considered them lies "propagated by parties that attempt to undermine the movement." Baraka affirmed that Palestinian people wish to return home - and will not return to any other place after all these decades of migration. Discussing Syrian affairs, Baraka called upon the Syrian regime to neutralise Palestinians from the conflict and to stop targeting Palestinian refugee camps. He pointed out that Hamas did not interfere in any Arabic internal conflict, and distanced itself from events out of respect for the people. Baraka went on to explain that Hamas' relationships with Iran and Hezbollah are stable, despite the political controversy over Syria's crisis. He demanded Arab states and Iran to immediately intervene and take responsibility for the bloodshed in Syria, as well as to find a peaceful solution which will give the people of Syria the freedom they need.