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Attacks prompt cancellation of Arafat memorial in Gaza

November 9, 2014

An attack targeting Fatah members in Gaza has prompted the cancellation of a commemoration rally for Palestinian icon Yasser Arafat. The event would have been the first major event in his honor in roughly seven years.

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Yassir Arafat
Image: Getty Images

Officials in the Gaza Strip said on Sunday that a highly-anticipated memorial for deceased Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (pictured) would not take place on November 11 as originally planned.

The decision to cancel the 10th anniversary commemoration ceremony was made after Hamas - the militant organization which dominates Gaza - said it could not provide security for the rally. Both the Palestinian Interior Ministry and a Fatah spokesperson confirmed the report.

Arafat - the long-time leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and founder of Hamas' rival party, Fatah - died in 2004 under mysterious circumstances, with some among his supporters alleging he had been poisoned.

Three years later, the then minority party Hamas won parliamentary elections. The political turmoil and violent clashes that followed forced Fatah into exile in the West Bank.

On Friday, around 10 explosions hit the homes of senior Fatah members in Gaza, reportedly without causing any casualties.

Although current Fatah leader and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas entered into a unity government with Hamas at the start of the summer, Friday's attack on Fatah officials underscored the tension that remains between the rival groups.

The internal strife within the Palestinian territories follows a nearly two-month war between Israel and Hamas during the summer that resulted in the deaths of 2,140 Palestinians, most of whom were civilians, and more than 70 Israelis.

Citing concerns over the future of peace in the region, the EU's new foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, called for the creation of a Palestinian state during a visit to Gaza on Saturday.

kms/nm (AP, AFP)