Head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh, accompanied by a delegation of senior officials, rounded off a three-week visit to Lebanon on Monday evening. 

Haniyeh had met with a number of Lebanese popular, factional, and intellectual officials during his visit.

During the meetings, Haniyeh voiced his support for Lebanon’s unity, security, and stability, lauding the close relationship between Lebanon and Palestine

As he hailed Lebanon for its historic position in support of the Palestinian people and their just cause and for hosting Palestinian refugees, Haniyeh restated his movement’s commitment to the right to return for Palestinian refugees and rejection of all proposals aimed at displacing or resettling the Palestinian refugees. 

Haniyeh also praised the Lebanese resistance movements for forcing the Israeli occupation to withdraw its armed forces from vast tracts of their territory in southern Lebanon in 2000 and defeating the Israeli occupation army in 2006.     

The Hamas chief attended a meeting of Palestinian secretaries-general held in Beirut and Ramallah on 3 September.

In addition, Haniyeh met with leaders of Palestinian factions outside of Palestine.

Stressing that the Palestinian unity is a corner stone in facing off the serious challenges posed to the Palestinian cause, Haniyeh called for cementing the intra-Palestinian relations, restructuring the Palestinian House and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) by selecting a new National Council at home and abroad and setting up a unified strategy to fight off the Israeli occupation and all plots intended to liquidate the Palestinian cause, particularly the so-called “deal of the century”, Israeli annexation plans, and the normalisation process. 

During a visit to Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon, Haniyeh met with popular delegations and representatives of Palestinian refugees and was informed of their harsh living conditions and suffering in the camp.

Haniyeh reiterated the necessity to activate the role of Palestinian refugees in the diaspora, calling for providing them a decent life until they return to their homes and lands from which they were forced out in 1948 by Zionist gangs.  

The top Hamas official urged the Lebanese government to grant Palestinian refugees their humanitarian and social rights, improve their living conditions, and find a way out of their suffering.