Forty years past since Israel occupied Palestinian territories, an international terminology refers to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, on June 5, 1967, the Palestinians still dream of ending Israeli occupation on their lands.

"We will never lose hope to see the day that the occupation of all the territories ends," said Haj Mohamed Salman, a 60-year-old Gazan.

"If I die before witnessing this day, my children will keep struggling until they see that moment, and if my children miss the moment, my grandchildren will takeover, so on and so forth," Salman said firmly.

Salman was only one of the millions of Palestinians living in the occupied Palestinian territories who has the fond dream of establishing an independent Palestinian state on their currently occupied lands.

As the 40th anniversary of "al-Naksa of 67" or the Relapse, a commemorating day for Israeli occupation on June 5, 1967, is imminent, the common dream for most Palestinians comes more urgently than before.

"I lived all my life as well as my children in wars and under occupation until this moment," said Khaled al-Shrafi, a resident of Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip.

"But we still have the hope that one day all this will be over, " he added.

According to official figures of the United Nations, there are almost seven million Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Israel and in the Diaspora, most of them are refugees still dreaming of returning back home.

The Relapse on every year's June 5 is one of the two most important dates for the Palestinians while the other one is May 15, known as "al-Nakba," or Catastrophe, when Israel was established on historic Palestine.

The Palestinians failed to mark the 59 anniversary of al-Nakba Day on this May 15 as usual due to fierce factional violence between rival Fatah and Islamic Hamas movements.

"Instead of being united in this particular day, to show the world that we can gain our freedom and independence soon, the infighting between Fatah and Hamas erupted and has undermined all plans to mark this day," said Palestinian legislator Kayed al- Ghoul, from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( PFLP).

The situation in the Gaza Strip following almost month-long infighting still unstable and clashes between the two groups are expected to erupt anytime.

He expressed fears that the Palestinians will also miss the opportunity to commemorate the 40th anniversary of "al-Naksa."

Neither the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) nor the political factions had officially decided to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Israeli occupation.

Under the dual plights of Israeli occupation and internal factional violence, Palestinians are aware of the difficulties in realizing their dream.

Although they still embrace the faith that one day an independent Palestinian state will be established on the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, they are conscious of the truth that the moment they reach this goal, they will be poor, exhausted and unable to build up a strong and viable state.

"It is almost 40 years, and we still don't know when exactly the independent state would be established. We still feel occupied, although Israel pulled out from Gaza," said Husam Baker, a Palestinian storekeeper in Gaza.

Israel had left Gaza Strip unilaterally in Sept. 12, 2005 after former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon authored the unilateral disengagement plan with the Palestinians.

But Israel still occupies all the West Bank, and east Jerusalem and the worse is that a whole Jerusalem is still considered by Israel as its eternal capital.

"The Israeli rejection to end the occupation and the unwillingness to resume peace negotiations amid the current internal situation in the Palestinian territories make the moment of independence faraway," Baker said hopelessly.

Source: Xinhua