Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called on Arab leaders meeting at a summit in Riyadh on Wednesday not to compromise on the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homes in what is now Israel. Haniyeh told Reuters his movement would not oppose an Arab peace initiative which the summit is set to relaunch, but would not give in on the Palestinian refugees' right of return.
"What concerns me more than anything else ... is not to compromise on the fundamental Palestinian rights, foremost being the right of return.
"I expect the Arab summit meeting in Riyadh to reiterate the Arab countries' commitment not to compromise in any way on the Palestinian refugees right of return under any circumstances," Haniyeh said ahead of the summit.
A final draft resolution calls for a "just solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees who fled their homes in 1948 but avoids any mention of the phrase "right of return" for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has strongly argued against.
