On the 104th Anniversary of the ill-fated Balfour Declaration, the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" issued the following statement:

104 years have passed since British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour committed his crime by pledging the Zionists a homeland in Palestine. Zionism used this illegal “promise” in promoting its project to establish a Jewish national home on Palestinian land, leading to the establishment of their Zionist entity in 1948.

Since the Belfour declaration, the Palestinian people have been in continuous suffering, oppression, killing, ethnic cleansing, and displacement and the USA plays the same destructive, unjust role played by its ally Britain.

The Palestinian people rebelled against this ominous promise and presented a unique model in resisting and confronting it, but the conspiracy was greater than their capabilities as Britain continued providing political and logistical support for the Zionist project until the occupation of over three-quarters of the land of Palestine in 1948.

Britain fully bears the burden of "Belfoure Promise" in terms of its release and adoption.

Despite the many painful stations and international conspiracies, our Palestinian people have affirmed throughout history their adherence to their homeland Palestine and their readiness to sacrifice for their freedom and independence.

We in the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas", and on this painful memory of our people and their cause, affirm the following:

First: Greetings to all our Palestinian people in Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, West Bank, 1948 occupied lands, diaspora, and those in exile for their steadfastness and confronting all conspiracies and schemes that aim to liquidate our national rights.

Second: We salute our Palestinian people in Jerusalem as they face the voracious Zionist plans to erode the identity and history of Jerusalem. In this sensitive stage, we call on the Arab and Islamic nations to support Jerusalem and its issues.

Third: Britain has committed a historical massacre against the Palestinian people, their existence, culture, and history.
Today, Britain is obliged to apologize to the Palestinian people by restoring the "refugees' right to return" to their historical land of Palestine, compensating them, and supporting their right to freedom and independence.

Fourth: Resistance in all forms, which has proven its feasibility, will remain a legitimate option that will not retreat until restoring the usurped rights of our Palestinian people and ending the occupation.

Fifth: We affirm our faith and tireless quest to achieve national unity as a strategic necessity to resist the occupation that resulted from this ominous promise.

Sixth: The right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their lands, cities, towns, and villages from which they were expelled is is an unswerving, legal, inalienable right guaranteed... that we strongly hold on to and will never relinquish.

Source : Safa