Palestinian Factions Lay 21 Martyrs to Rest in Beirut

Source: Al-Manar TV, 21-7-2008
Palestinian factions laid the remains of 21 martyrs who fell during confrontations with the "Israeli" occupation since the late 1970's. The
Remaining Palestinian martyrs are expected to be moved to Syria on Tuesday to be laid in graves in Palestinian refugee camps there.
Speaking at the cemetery, Hizbullah representative Hasan Hodroj stressed four fundamental points. "First, the Zionist entity is an expansionist entity of settlers founded on usurping and terrorism. There is no sincere partner in our nation who can give legitimacy to this entity. Second, resistance is a right given by all Divine religions, humanitarian values and international laws. The Palestinian people is practicing this right backed by all honest peoples of the world. Third, Palestinian national unity is on top of all priorities. Just as the martyrs have united and Palestinian factions have united together to bid them farewell, unity should be the choice of Palestinian factions. We call on them to engage in dialogue to establish this unity. Fourth, the achievement of the Islamic resistance reminds of the misery of 11 thousand Palestinian prisoners in "Israeli" jails. We call on Arabs and Muslims as well to stop abandoning the Palestinian cause. Do you duty vis-à-vis the issues of the Palestinian people, on top of which is the cause of the prisoners."
For his part, Islamic Jihad chief in Lebanon Abu Imad Rifaei stressed that the blood of martyrs from all Arab nationalities have united through their sacrifices. "Today, let the Arab and Islamic nation rest assured that the choice of its people is the resistance. This is the most efficient choice that can extract our rights from this usurping entity which only understands the language of force. We stress that the blood of martyrs is a trust until the liberation of the land. We tell the families of the martyrs: rest assured, yours sons and daughters have planted the seeds of victory in this nation."
Speaking on behalf of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, PLO representative in Lebanon Abbas Zaki saluted the martyrs, "all the martyrs to Ahmed Yassine, Yasser Arafat, Abbas Moussawi, Imad Moghnieh and others." Zaki said that "we have to remember that Hizbullah carried out this operation (Operation Al-Redwan) to emphasize that the Palestinian revolution is still ongoing. It is refused to think about coexistence with the occupation. We are at a crossroads. This liberation comes to re-direct things until the Palestinians are united. Our martyrs lying here wait to be moved and buried in Palestine. Sayyed Nasrallah Samir Kintar have united the Palestinians, so do not ruin this unity."
Hizbullah had earlier handed over the remains of dozens of Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movement martyrs who were retrieved in the framework of Operation Al-Redwan. The handover ceremony was held in the presence of representatives of resistance factions as well as released detainee Samir Kintar. The remains are for 157 martyrs leaving 28 other unidentified martyrs with Hizbullah pending further DNA tests. The 28 include the Dalal Moghrabi group who carried out an armed attack inside occupied territories in the late 1970's.
Among the retrieved martyrs are 24 Lebanese, 91 Palestinians, 37 Syrians, 8 Tunisians and 2 Jordanians as well as a Kuwaiti, a Saudi, a martyr from Nigeria and from other nationalities.
PLO chief in Lebanon Abbas Zaki told Al-Manar that the martyrs have returned thanks to Hizbullah. "I thank God that Palestine has returned to be the central cause which the best of the best had fought for. This is an historical day dedicated to the soul of martyr Yasser Arafat, martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi (former Hizbullah chief) and the martyrs of the Arab and Palestinian resistance.