Ali Baraka, head of Hamas's National Relations Department abroad, has said that Israeli elections will not bring any fundamental change to Israel's policies toward Palestinians, arguing that political competition among Israeli leaders will neither end the occupation nor restore Palestinian rights.

In a statement marking the 109th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration on Tuesday, Baraka said political figures such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot differed in their political approaches but shared the same fundamental policies of maintaining occupation, expanding settlements and denying Palestinians their rights.

“Zionist elections may replace one criminal with another, but they will not end the occupation or restore rights to their rightful owners,” he said.

Baraka described the 1917 Balfour Declaration, through which Britain pledged support for the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine, as a historic colonial crime that paved the way for the Nakba, the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948, and decades of occupation and dispossession.

He stressed that 109 years of political developments had not diminished Palestinian national and historical rights, reaffirming the Palestinian people's determination to achieve freedom, return to their homes and reclaim their rights.

Baraka said the anniversary was being marked amid Israel's ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, the blockade and starvation imposed on its population, and the widespread destruction across the besieged territory.

He also pointed to escalating settlement expansion, forced displacement and annexation plans in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, warning that Israeli policies continued to threaten Palestinian land and rights.

He called on Britain to acknowledge its historical responsibility for the Balfour Declaration, halt arms supplies to Israel and support efforts to hold Israeli leaders accountable before international courts.

Addressing the political future of Palestine, Baraka urged Palestinians not to place their hopes in changes of government in Israel, but to strengthen national unity, resistance and a comprehensive strategy for liberation.

He reaffirmed the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes under international resolutions, particularly UN General Assembly Resolution 194, rejecting any proposals involving permanent resettlement, forced displacement or the establishment of an alternative homeland.

Baraka also called for rebuilding the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on inclusive and democratic foundations to ensure the participation of all Palestinian factions and communities, both inside Palestine and abroad.

He stressed that a unified national strategy was essential to achieving Palestinian liberation, the return of refugees and independence. (ILKHA)