Amman - Jordan's lower house of parliament on Wednesday expressed firm backing to King Abdullah II's pledge not to give up the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes which they fled upon Israel's foundation in 1948.

"The House of Representatives stands vigorously behind the king's adherence to the refugees' right of return and compensations, considering it an inalienable right," said a statement read by the chamber's Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali.

The lawmakers also supported the monarch's "rejection of any foreign demands that do not fall in line with Jordan's interests".

In a speech to army commanders on Tuesday, Abdullah vowed to stand by the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in compliance with UN resolutions, saying "this attitude will not change and no power can force on Jordan an attitude that runs counter to its interest".

The monarch said that he was responding to "rumours circulated by those who have suspicious agendas and who seek to undermine Jordan's stability".

He alluded to local and Arab press reports suggesting that Jordan and other moderate Arab countries were coming under pressure from US President Barack Obama to accept a peace plan that waves the Palestinian refugees' right of return and instead provides for resettling them inside Arab countries where they live.

UN General Assembly resolution 194 of December 1948 calls for the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes and for compensating those who choose not to return.

According to the records of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Jordan is host to 1.8 million Palestinian refugees.

The lower house also pledged strong support for the king's "crackdown on all those who stood behind such rumours and worked to undermine the national unity".(dpa)