Thousands of Palestinians in Syria who have never seen their original homes before are preparing to travel on June 5 to the Golan Heights two thirds of which are under Israeli control.
Sixty-three years have passed since they were displaced from their homes. However, Palestinian refugees in Syria are still determined to return home.
"We want to cross the borders peacefully to return to our fathers and ancestors' home," said Hasan Hijazi, a Palestinian man who managed to cross the borders and get to Jaffa on May 15.
"It's been my dream to get to my city Jaffa. I imagined that if I managed to do it, it would be with a march of millions of people, like it was said on Facebook," he added.
"So after 63 years we are determined to apply the U.N. resolution No. 194 and return to our homeland," said Hijazi.
In 1948, the United Nations issued the resolution No. 194 which stated "resolves that the (Palestinian) refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible."
On May 15 every year, Palestinians across the world commemorate "Nakba day" or catastrophe, the day in which the Israeli Leader Bin Gorion announced the foundation of Israeli state 1948. On May 15 this year, hundreds of Palestinian youngsters unexpectedly crossed the separating line between Israel and Syria. The Israeli troops responded by live bullets and gas tears on the disarmed protesters killing three Palestinians and wounding about 100.
"It is an indescribable feeling to touch the homeland, to live it and to breath it! I felt I was born again as I was seeing things around me for the first time," said Izat Maswada another Palestinian who managed to reach Jerusalem on May 15.
Maswada said that his nostalgia was pushing him to repeat the act on June 5 but this time he would not return back to Syria, he said. "We have a very noble aim after which we have been running for 63 years. June 5 will be the key of return. On May 15 we did initial step and showed the world that we are capable to get back to our home," he said.
Despite the casualties amid Palestinian refugees in the past, thousands of them from 11 refugees camps in Syria are still determined to repeat the experience of May 15 on Sunday.
About half million Palestinian refugees now live in refugee camps in Syria. Israel did not recognize their right of returning home, the international community can press Tel-Aviv to commit to the U.N. resolutions or even to find a fair solution to the impossible problem.
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