RAMALLAH, Thousands of Palestinians rallied in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip on Friday evening marking the 57th anniversary of the establishment of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah).
In Gaza, thousands of participants gathered at Palestine Square where they hoisted the yellow Fatah flag alongside the Palestinian flag as they shouted slogans in support of the struggle until independence.
Speakers at the rally hailed the launch, saying it has reinvigorated the Palestinian identity following the 1948 Israeli occupation of Palestine that turned the Palestinians into refugees.
In Tulkarm, north of the West Bank, hundreds of participants rallied in Thabet Thabet Square and lighted the torch marking the anniversary of Fatah’s establishment.
In Jenin, also in the north of the West Bank, hundreds of supporters of Fatah gathered at Al-Muqata’a Square in the city and lighted the torch commemorating the anniversary.
Rallies were also held in the provinces of Hebron and Jericho, where hundreds gathered at squares to celebrate the anniversary.
In Lebanon, a central rally commemorating the anniversary was held in the Ein Al-Helweh camp for Palestinian refugees.
Earlier today, President Mahmoud Abbas said in a speech on the occasion of the anniversary that the Palestinians are committed to a just and comprehensive peace based on the resolutions of the international community and under the auspices of the International Quartet.
The President also reaffirmed commitment on behalf of the Palestinian people to ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, as well as to freedom, sovereignty, independence and statehood.
“Our hands are extended to make a just, comprehensive and lasting peace through an international peace conference based on the resolutions of international legitimacy, under the auspices of the International Quartet, with a view of ending the occupation of the land of the State of Palestine and its capital, Jerusalem.”
On January 1, 1965, Fatah, also known as the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, launched its first commando attack against Israel, setting the ground for the start of the armed struggle for the liberation of Palestine.
It is the largest of the Palestinian political factions that compose the Palestine Liberation Organization, recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency