MIDDLE EAST: Palestinian President Abbas in the West Bank and Hamas leader Haniyeh in Gaza celebrate Eid el-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan

Record ID: 376739

  • Title: MIDDLE EAST: Palestinian President Abbas in the West Bank and Hamas leader Haniyeh in Gaza celebrate Eid el-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan
  • Date: 21st August 2012
  • Summary: MORE OF HONORARY GUARD NEAR GRAVE OF ARAFAT GAZA CITY, GAZA (AUGUST 19, 2012) (REUTERS) MUSLIM WORSHIPPERS ARRIVING FOR EID PRAYER SECURITY MAN
  • Embargoed: 5th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Jerusalem, Gaza
  • City:
  • Country: Gaza Jerusalem
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVAB4LYN1MDUI07H16S2WX8IJ2UA
  • Story Text: Palestinian leaders on Sunday (August 19) led thousands of Muslim worshippers in prayers celebrating Eid al-Fitr in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
    Worshippers flocked to the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, Islam's third holiest site, before heading to graveyards at the ancient Muslim cemetery to pray for their loved ones - a tradition on the morning of Eid.
    In the West Bank city of Ramallah, worshippers gathered at the presidential compound for morning Eid prayers, in which President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad attended.

    "Today we mark Eid Al-Fitr Holiday, after the end of Ramadan. We congratulate our nation and we hope that next year will be the year of freedom and the year of Jerusalem, and that we will have a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," Abbas told journalists after the prayer.
    In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, thousands attended a public prayer led by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

    "We stress that Gaza and Palestine will be a source of stability and security for Egypt and Sinai and for Rafah and El-Arish and will never be a source of threat or danger to the proud Egyptian people. We stress our full readiness for security cooperation with our Egyptian brothers to protect the joint security, to protect our common interests and to protect our joint borders," Ismail Haniyeh told the crowd.
    Haniyeh's comments came a day after three Egyptian policemen and a soldier were injured near the Sinai town of Sheikh Zuwaid when armed men fired a rocket-propelled grenade at their convoy during an operation against militants following the killing of 16 border guards.
    Disorder has been spreading in turbulent North Sinai, a region awash with guns that has felt neglected by the central government since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak last year in a popular uprising. Mubarak's government had worked closely with Israel to keep the border region under control.
    Egypt blamed the Aug. 5 border attack on "Islamic militants" and has launched a joint army-police operation that has raided militant hideouts, arrested their members and seized weapons.
    Eid al-Fitr, also known as the 'small holiday', marks the start of a three-day holiday as Muslims exchange gifts, visit family and friends at home, and throw elaborate feasts.
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