Fatah militants renew struggle amid Palestinian unity

Fatah party stages 1st rally in Gaza Gaza – Mohammed Habib Thousands of Palestinians from across the Gaza Strip gathered in downtown Gaza City’s al-Saraya Square from the early hours on Friday, ahead of Fatah’s 48th anniversary celebrations. Members of the public headed to al-Saraya as hundreds of cars, vans and motorbikes adorned with Fatah's yellow banner roamed the city streets.
Fatah members spent the night in Gaza City to avoid problems reaching the festival site on the day, while Fatah Central Committee member Jibril Rajoub inspected the main stage on the rally site.
The festival marks the first Fatah Rally to take place in the Gaza Strip in six years, following a collapse in relations between Palestinian factions when Hamas took power in 2006.
The rally was full of fundreds of sellers peddling yellow banners and flags as well as hats representing the Palestinian keffiyeh, while sound systems blasted old revolutionary songs and displayed pictures of the movement's leading figures, including the late President Yasser Arafat and President Mahmoud Abbas.
Rafah’s Fatah leader Salah al-Awissi claimed the "spontaneous celebration in most areas " evidenced "the depth of the movement's presence in the hearts of the Palestinian public.”
“For the first time ever in the Gaza Strip," al-Awissi said, there were difficulties finding sufficient transport for celebrants around the coastal region. 50 boats were hired to ship attendees from Rafah to Gaza by sea.
Al-Awissi headed the reception committee welcoming Fatah leader Abu Ali Shaheen at the Rafah border crossing. Shaheen has been a top Fatah leader in the border city for years.
Congratulating Fatah on the “positive atmosphere” surrounding its 48th anniversary, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh joined Rajoub in highlighting the need for reconciliation among Palestinian factions. Approval for the festival was taken, Haniyeh said, “with a real desire to open a new page in [the] relationship [between Hamas and Fatah] and to learn the lessons from previous experiences."
Rajoub thanked Haniyeh, adding that "the current general patriotic atmosphere has moved beyond past psychological obstacles."
"We support national unity with a programme including both politics and struggle," Rajoub continued. "I am for a fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, as well as the right of return," he said.
A statement by the Fatah-affiliated military wings announced that the movement will not give up armed struggle until "liberation and independence" are achieved. The group declared its full backing for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “in the face of all forms of international pressure.”
"You must prove that the enemies' bets on the division will fail [and] unity will return and all disagreements will be ended,” the statement read. “There is room for everyone in the homeland and our enemy is the same.”
Director of Central Operations in Gaza's Ministry of Interior Colonel Mohammed Khalaf has confirmed that Minister Fathi Hammad and Police Chief Major General Saladdin Abu Sharkh have "given clear instructions that all necessary measures to facilitate the staging of the Fatah anniversary festival are to be taken."