Tel Aviv Tribune Net correspondents
Beirut- Today, Wednesday, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon commemorated the 76th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, through a series of national and heritage vigils and activities in the camps. It turned into an occasion to demand an end to the Israeli aggression against Gaza on the one hand, and to renew adherence to the land and the right of return on the other hand.
Palestinian refugee Hamida Al-Ahmad confirms to Al-Jazeera Net that the memory of the Nakba is never forgotten, and that it lives in their hearts throughout their lives, “from our grandparents to our children and grandchildren, until the last child among us will return to Palestine,” and she considers that commemorating the anniversary annually increases their determination to adhere to the right of return.
Palestinian refugee Amina Al-Saleh told Al-Jazeera Net that commemorating the Nakba annually dropped the saying, “The old die and the young forget.” Seven generations have passed, but they are still clinging to the land and the right of return, considering that the greatest evidence of that day is the commemoration of the occasion in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, called the capital. Palestinian diaspora.
Al-Saleh points out that their children still say about themselves that they are Palestinians, and name their country of origin, and she considers commemorating the anniversary a reminder to the world of the Nakba of the Palestinian people, and that they are still determined to return to their homes.
The role of UNRWA
In Beirut, the leadership of the Palestinian coalition, the Islamic forces, Ansar Allah, and the popular committees in Lebanon organized a sit-in in front of the main headquarters of the UNRWA office, in protest against its administrative practices and punitive decisions against some employees, due to their national affiliation.
To the sounds of national anthems, the participants raised the Palestinian flag and slogans such as “Our return is near” and “No compromise on our national affiliation,” emphasizing the Palestinian identity and consolidating the right of return, no matter how long it takes.
Director General of the 302nd Commission for Defending Refugee Rights, Ali Huwaidi, told Tel Aviv Tribune Net, “UNRWA was established after the Nakba, and if it had not been the Nakba, there would not have been UNRWA,” recalling that the aim of its establishment was to provide humanitarian and relief aid until return, based on Resolution 194, which stipulates The right of return, compensation and restoration of property.
Huwaidi stressed that what is required today is continued support for UNRWA, so that it can fulfill its role in caring for, providing relief and working refugees until they return, instead of besieging it financially under different names, because that will increase the starvation of the Palestinian people.
He considered that the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation came to renew hope for adhering to the right of return, after the international community abandoned the implementation of the relevant resolutions. He said, “Despite the frenzied attack and genocide in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian refugee remains clinging to his right to his land, as rights are taken away and not given.”
Huwaidi adds that after 76 years of steadfastness in the face of the occupation projects, which aimed to assimilate the Palestinian refugee into the societies of the host countries and make him forget Palestine, the Palestinian refugee comes to confirm his adherence to his right to return.
Liberation Organization
In the Ain al-Hilweh camp, south of Sidon, the Palestine Liberation Organization held a vigil in front of the headquarters of the Fatah movement, in which participants raised Palestinian flags and banners emphasizing the right of return, with the words “76 years of injustice… Enough is enough,” “76 years of injustice, let the genocide stop.” “Our return is inevitable,” “Enough of the catastrophes.. Stop the war on Gaza,” and “It is time to punish the occupying state for its crimes.”
Secretary of the Fatah movement and the Palestine Liberation Organization factions in the Sidon region, Maher Shabaita, told Tel Aviv Tribune Net that on this day they affirm the right of the Palestinian people to return to Palestine, despite 76 years having passed since the anniversary of the Nakba, and that the refugee camps will remain steadfast until the return to Palestine.
Shabaita affirms that the PLO is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and says that “through its leadership of the diplomatic, political and security battle, it adheres to the UNRWA agency, which is considered a living witness to the catastrophe of our Palestinian people, and cancels all the lies spread by the Israeli enemy.”
Palestinian activist Intisar Al-Hajj, who participated in the protest, told Tel Aviv Tribune Net that on the anniversary of the Nakba, we affirm that the Palestinian people adhere to the right of return in accordance with Resolution 194, and to reject settlement and displacement projects, stressing that the right of return is sacred and does not lapse by the time limit, and that return is the response to the Nakba.
Refugee camps
In the Rashidieh camp in the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, a march was launched for children from kindergartens and educational institutions, within the framework of commemorating the Nakba. The children roamed the streets of the camp wearing traditional Palestinian dress, raising the key of return, and banners affirming the Palestinians’ adherence to the right to return to the land of their ancestors.
In Nahr al-Bared camp in northern Lebanon, the Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation, in cooperation with the Lebanese “Donimo Akkar” Association, organized a cultural and heritage event for children, focusing on the values of Palestinian identity. The event included reading literary works by Palestinians, such as Ghassan Kanafani, Ibrahim Touqan, and Mahmoud Darwish, in addition to theatrical performances. And traditional and lyrical paragraphs.
In the Beddawi camp in the city of Tripoli, northern Lebanon, the Palestinian Cultural Club organized the “Nakba Camp” for the seventh year in a row, and included heritage and artistic activities. The Islamic Association of Palestine Students, the Al-Isra Scouts, and the Agarid Association organized a religious event under the title “Nakba followed by liberation.”