Exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal stressed here on Sunday the right of return of the Palestinian refugees as one of the basic rights of the Palestinian people.
The Palestinians' right of return "cannot be made void by some compensation, settlement or finding an alternative home," Meshaal said at an Arab and international forum on the Palestinians' right of return in Damascus.
"The right of return is guaranteed by international accords and conventions," Meshaal noted, saying it is a legitimate human and individual right that complies with common sense and the movement of history.
Meshaal, who lived in exile in Syria, also criticized the Israeli "criminal practices" and violation of human rights, particularly in the Gaza Strip, calling for breaking the siege imposed on it.
He also called for unity of Palestinian ranks in the face of occupation while expressing appreciation of Syria, which hosted over half a million Palestinian refugees and provided them with their needs over decades.
The two-day forum opened here earlier with the participation of political and intellectual personalities from 54 Arab and foreign countries.
The conference is aimed at establishing the Palestinian refugees ' right of return as a firm Palestinian and Arab principle, refusing any bargaining or trade-off, and rejecting settlement and alternative homeland projects.
It also aimed to suggest mechanism and practical programs for defending the right of return and rallying international support for it. A declaration on the right of return would be issued during the conference.
The forum's program includes lectures, 22 seminars with the participation of over 170 specialists, workshops, poetry evenings and art galleries showing the Palestinian refugees' conditions and underlining their right to return.
Source: Xinhua
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