Gaza City's Al-Katiba square turned into a sea of Fatah flags, as crowds marked the 58th anniversary of Fatah foundation.
Palestinian take part in Fatah movement rally marking the 58th anniversary of the creation of the party. (Photo by Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Thousands in the Gaza Strip staged one of the biggest celebrations in years for the Fatah movement of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Saturday.
The demonstrators turned Gaza City's Al-Katiba square into a sea of yellow as they waved Fatah flags to mark the 58th anniversary of the party's foundation.
Fatah rallies on this scale have been a rarity in Gaza for the past decade and a half.
Fatah has been at odds with Hamas since the Islamist movement won an upset victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 but failed to form an administration acceptable to the international community.
The following year, Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip beginning years of division, with Fatah administering Palestinian-run areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The New Arab Staff & Agencies
01 January, 2023
01 January, 2023
Palestinian take part in Fatah movement rally marking the 58th anniversary of the creation of the party. (Photo by Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Thousands in the Gaza Strip staged one of the biggest celebrations in years for the Fatah movement of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Saturday.
The demonstrators turned Gaza City's Al-Katiba square into a sea of yellow as they waved Fatah flags to mark the 58th anniversary of the party's foundation.
Fatah rallies on this scale have been a rarity in Gaza for the past decade and a half.
Fatah has been at odds with Hamas since the Islamist movement won an upset victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 but failed to form an administration acceptable to the international community.
The following year, Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip beginning years of division, with Fatah administering Palestinian-run areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
PerspectivesJoseph Daher
In an address to the crowd, Fatah's Gaza chief, Ahmed Helles, called for reconciliation between the rival factions following the swearing in on Thursday of the most right-wing government in Israel's history.
The new coalition led by veteran hawk Benjamin Netanyahu "will go as other racist governments have gone and our people will remain," Helles said.
"The time has come to achieve national reconciliation."
Fatah spokesperson Monther al-Hayek told AFP that it was time for Palestinian "national unity to confront Netanyahu's extremist government."
Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met in Algiers in July for their first public meeting in more than five years. Yet the rare moment has so far failed to bring wider reconciliation.
In October, the two movements signed a reconciliation deal in Algiers, though Abbas was not present and the deal has not been implemented.
Huge Crowds of Palestinians Mark Fatah Anniversary in Gaza
December 31, 2022
Associated Press
December 31, 2022
Associated Press
Palestinian Fatah supporters chant slogans and wave the movement's flags during a rally marking the 58th anniversary of Fatah movement foundation in Gaza City, Dec. 31, 2022.
GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP —
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians thronged a Gaza City park Saturday to mark the 58th anniversary of the founding of the Fatah party, a rare show of popularity in the heartland of the militant Hamas group, Fatah’s main rival.
The crowds turned Katiba Park into a sea of yellow flags and pictures of Fatah founders and leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his predecessor Yasser Arafat.
Hamas, which took over Gaza after routing pro-Abbas forces in 2007, permitted Fatah to hold the rally. In several past occasions following the 2007 takeover, Hamas had blocked or restricted activities for Fatah.
While polls indicate Fatah is not that popular, the huge turnout could be seen as a rare opportunity to protest Hamas’ heavy-handed rule in Gaza. The Islamic group has exhausted Gazans with heavy taxes amid record levels of unemployment and poverty. The 2.3 million residents live under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade that Israel says is necessary to stop Hamas from stocking up on weapons. Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment.
Founded by Arafat and other leaders in 1959, Fatah announced its birth when it launched the first armed attack against Israel from Lebanon on Jan. 1, 1965. In the 1990s, however, Arafat signed a peace deal with Israel and the Palestinian Authority was created to administer Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank.
The rally comes at a time of division between Palestinians. Fatah and Hamas, the largest Palestinian factions, remain bitter enemies and repeated Arab attempts to reconcile them have failed.
Over the years, Hamas has consolidated its control in Gaza and the internationally recognized PA is struggling to govern autonomous areas of the West Bank. Charges of corruption and mismanagement riddle the PA and Abbas is widely seen as an autocrat.
GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP —
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians thronged a Gaza City park Saturday to mark the 58th anniversary of the founding of the Fatah party, a rare show of popularity in the heartland of the militant Hamas group, Fatah’s main rival.
The crowds turned Katiba Park into a sea of yellow flags and pictures of Fatah founders and leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his predecessor Yasser Arafat.
Hamas, which took over Gaza after routing pro-Abbas forces in 2007, permitted Fatah to hold the rally. In several past occasions following the 2007 takeover, Hamas had blocked or restricted activities for Fatah.
While polls indicate Fatah is not that popular, the huge turnout could be seen as a rare opportunity to protest Hamas’ heavy-handed rule in Gaza. The Islamic group has exhausted Gazans with heavy taxes amid record levels of unemployment and poverty. The 2.3 million residents live under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade that Israel says is necessary to stop Hamas from stocking up on weapons. Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment.
Founded by Arafat and other leaders in 1959, Fatah announced its birth when it launched the first armed attack against Israel from Lebanon on Jan. 1, 1965. In the 1990s, however, Arafat signed a peace deal with Israel and the Palestinian Authority was created to administer Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank.
The rally comes at a time of division between Palestinians. Fatah and Hamas, the largest Palestinian factions, remain bitter enemies and repeated Arab attempts to reconcile them have failed.
Over the years, Hamas has consolidated its control in Gaza and the internationally recognized PA is struggling to govern autonomous areas of the West Bank. Charges of corruption and mismanagement riddle the PA and Abbas is widely seen as an autocrat.
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