Ramallah/ PNN /
The Refugee Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has denounced the ongoing Israeli offensives in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, emphasizing that these aggressive actions, which aim to destroy Palestinian refugee camps, will not break the resolve of the Palestinian people or weaken their determination to hold on to their rights and land.
In a statement released today, the Refugee Affairs Department praised the resilience of the Palestinian people both in the homeland and in the diaspora. The department commended their steadfast commitment to national rights, particularly the right of return, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The statement specifically lauded the courage of those in Gaza and the refugee camps across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, who are currently enduring what it described as the most extensive campaign of genocide in modern history, facing indiscriminate killing, destruction, detention, and torture.
The department further highlighted the Israeli plans targeting refugee camps in Gaza and northern West Bank, including the camps of Jenin, Nur Shams, Tulkarm, Al-Fara'a, Balata, Askar, Al-Ain, as well as the Shuafat and Qalandiya camps in Jerusalem, along with camps in central and southern West Bank. It argued that these brutal measures are part of a broader strategy to accelerate forced displacement and to undermine the camps as bastions of resilience and symbols of national identity and culture, which have sustained the Palestinian presence on their land.
The statement called on all Palestinians to reject displacement, confront the challenges through national unity, patience, and strengthened internal solidarity, and expose all actions of the occupation aimed at eradicating life inside and outside the camps.
The Refugee Affairs Department concluded by asserting that these Israeli conspiracies and plans will only strengthen the Palestinian people's resolve and commitment to their rights. It urged the international community to assume its responsibilities in activating international protection for the Palestinian people, particularly refugees and those in the camps, and to safeguard UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), which has been under daily attack through the killing of its staff, targeting of its centres, and displacement of refugees. The statement also condemned the coordinated campaign to undermine UNRWA's operations by associating it with terrorism, obstructing its work, and attempting to strip it of its immunity.
