Hamas rally in Gaza
Hamas rally in GazaFlash 90

Hamas on Saturday marked the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration by emphasizing its commitment to the liberation of all of “Palestine”.

The 1917 Balfour Declaration, issued by then-British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, proclaimed Britain’s support for the establishment of a Jewish national home in then-Palestine.

Palestinian Arab organizations have in recent months been waging a campaign aimed at forcing Britain to apologize for the document. The Palestinian Authority cabinet in Ramallah has demanded not just a British apology for the document, but also compensation.

In a statement posted on its website on Saturday, Hamas noted that the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration takes place at a time when Israel and the United States are trying to eliminate the Palestinian problem and completely deny the national and historic rights of the Palestinian people.

Hamas praised the Palestinian people who hold onto the city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem), Gaza, the West Bank, the 1948 territories (Israel) and their resistance to all conspiracies and plots aimed at eliminating the national rights of the Palestinian people. These conspiracies and plots, claimed the terrorist organization, began with the Balfour Declaration and continue with President Donald Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century”.

Hamas accused Britain of perpetrating a "historic massacre" against the Palestinian people, and demanded that it repent by restoring the rights of the Palestinians, publishing an apology, assisting in the return of the “refugees”, providing compensation for them and supporting their right to freedom and independence.

Hamas also stated that the presence of the "occupation" is legally void and cannot be recognized or legitimized, and that the Palestinian people have the right to fight the “occupation”.

Hamas said it strongly opposes all attempts at normalization with the "occupying state" and called normalization "a serious crime and a stab in the back of the Palestinians' steadfastness."