In support of the Palestinian cause and as part of the events commemorating Land Day and International Quds Day, the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine, in cooperation with the Municipality of Sidon, lit up the historic Sidon Sea Castle in South Lebanon with the colors of the Palestinian flag on the evening of Friday, March 28, 2025.

The event drew a large crowd of residents from Sidon and surrounding areas, along with a number of public and official figures, all expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and rejecting the crimes committed by the usurping entity in Gaza and Jenin.

Among the attendees was Mr. Mazen Hashisho, representative of MP Bahia Hariri, Dr. Khaled Al-Kurdi, representing MP Osama Saad, and Mu’in Shreif, Ambassador of Return. A broad spectrum of political, cultural, and religious figures also took part in the event.

Amid a heartfelt patriotic atmosphere, the crowd gathered in front of the castle, engaging emotionally with patriotic songs performed by the group “Mawtini”, while Palestinian and Lebanese flags waved in the hands of attendees and the ancient walls of the castle shone with the vibrant colors of Palestine — creating a powerful visual scene that symbolized the unity of free nations with the Palestinian cause.

Under the southern city’s night sky, words of solidarity with the Palestinian people echoed through the air. Dr. Abdel Rahman Al-Bizri, MP for Sidon, delivered a stirring speech in which he denounced the genocide being inflicted on the people of Gaza and condemned the ongoing attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians and erase their historical rights.

“Today, from Sidon, we affirm that the Palestinian cause is not the concern of a single people, but the cause of every free person who believes in justice and dignity,” said Al-Bizri. “We raise our voices to say: The Palestinian land will remain for its rightful people, and the usurping entity’s efforts to obliterate national identity will fail, for the roots of this cause run deep in history, too deep to be uprooted by weapons of destruction.”

He added, “We will always stand by the Palestinian cause — it remains our central issue.”

Dr. Abdel Malik Sukariya, representing the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine, also addressed the gathering, emphasizing that illuminating the castle was a message to the world that Palestine lives in the hearts of all Arabs, the Lebanese people, and all the free people of the world. He stressed that efforts to erase Palestine from the political landscape will not succeed in the face of the Palestinian people’s resilience and the support of their allies worldwide.

Sukariya called for continued international mobilization in support of the Palestinian cause and urged people to raise their voices for the rights of Palestinians to their land, free of the massacres of the usurping entity. He added that the campaign is waging a battle for global public opinion, seeking to free it from the narrative of the Zionist entity and its Western accomplices.

Sheikh Maher Hammoud, President of the Union of Resistance Scholars, also spoke at the event, stating: “We are destined to confront the Zionist-American arrogance, and by God’s will, we shall prevail. Our commitment to the Palestinian people and their just cause will continue unwaveringly.” He affirmed that Sidon will remain one of the shining names in the resistance, having produced heroes who stood firm against the usurping entity.

During the event, Palestinian flags and symbolic gifts representing Palestinian heritage were distributed to attendees and passersby — a gesture that deepened generational ties to the land of Palestine, which remains unforgotten despite decades of occupation.

Today, Sidon etched its name into the record of symbolic resistance, affirming that the Palestinian cause will never be forgotten — so long as these ancient castles continue to blaze with the light of freedom and dignity.