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PLO calls for manifestation of Palestinian statehood

Xinhua, November 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) called Tuesday on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the Palestinian declaration of independence for the manifestation of Palestinian statehood on the ground.

PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat said in a press statement that the Palestinian people's celebration of the declaration of independence this year "includes international ethical and political obligations to translate this declaration to a tangible reality through the manifestation of the state of Palestine on the ground within the borders of June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital."

Erekat stressed the importance of finding a just settlement for the issue of refugees in accordance with the UN Resolution No. 194, the immediate release of all Palestinian prisoners and obliging Israel to recognize its legal, political and ethical responsibility for the historic injustice that it caused to another people.

He said that this historic declaration "prepares for new and accumulating achievement toward the legitimate rights of our people in spite of the occupation state's restless attempts to eliminate the Palestinian existence and identity and the illegitimate discriminatory laws, last of which was the decision to legalize settlement outposts and banning the Azan (Muslim prayer call) through speakers."

"Despite the silence of the international community and its inability to halt Israel, we are still exerting efforts to hold an international peace conference to end the occupation within a limited timeframe and to put implementation and follow up mechanisms in line with International law, international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative," said the statement.

He noted that efforts to hold the peace conference come along with the deliberations among all parties to head to the Security Council to get a condemnation resolution and stopping the illegal colonial settlements activity, declaring Palestine as a full member state and ending the Israeli occupation.

He went on saying that the Palestinian people "are getting ready this year to face challenges and domestic order, to seek ending the (intra-Palestinian) division and achieve national reconciliation as soon as possible."

Hamas had violently seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 following weeks of internal fighting with Abbas security forces. Hamas won the parliamentary elections held in the Palestinian territories in 2006

The Palestinians mark the 28th anniversary of the declaration of independence which was announced by late President Yasser Arafat in front of the Palestinian National Council held in Algeria on Nov. 15, 1988. However, the statehood was not achieved as a reality on the ground in light of struggling peace process with Israel.

The declaration of independence had endorsed the UN Partition Resolution and the PLI recognized the two-state solution as the solution to end the Palestinian - Israeli conflict. Endit