WEST BANK: Palestinians demonstrate against Hamas' call to dismantle the Palestinian Liberation Organisation
Record ID:
560004
WEST BANK: Palestinians demonstrate against Hamas' call to dismantle the Palestinian Liberation Organisation
- Title: WEST BANK: Palestinians demonstrate against Hamas' call to dismantle the Palestinian Liberation Organisation
- Date: 8th February 2009
- Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (FEBRUARY 7, 2009) (REUTERS) DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING IN STREET VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS WAVING PALESTINIAN AND YELLOW FATAH FLAGS DEMONSTRATORS CARRYING HUGE PALESTINIAN FLAG MASKED DEMONSTRATOR HOLDING FLAG CHANTING: "In spirit and in blood we will redeem you Palestine" BANNER READING IN ARABIC: 'YES TO THE PLO, THE ONLY LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE' VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING PALESTINIANS MARCHING CLOSE OF WOMAN MARCHING DEMONSTRATION IN PROGRESS MAN ON HORSE WAVING YELLOW FATAH FLAG PALESTINIANS GATHERING AT CENTRAL MANARA SQUARE FOR SUPPORT RALLY MAN CHANTING ON MICROPHONE VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS RALLYING
- Embargoed: 23rd February 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVABIU28MZXBDP4W0YVVYUU308GN
- Story Text: Scores of Palestinians, including many Fatah supporters, demonstrate in support of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation which rival Hamas calls to dismantle.
Scores of Palestinians marched in the streets of the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday (February 7), demonstrating against Hamas' call to dismantle the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).
The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and yellow Fatah flags and chanted slogans in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The march proceeded to Ramallah's down town Manara Square.
The rally came in response to a recent call by the Islamist Hamas group, who controls the Gaza Strip, for a new leadership for Palestinians to replace the Palestine PLO.
The PLO is an umbrella body headed by Abbas and dominated by his Fatah faction. and comprised of factions loyal to him, excluding Hamas.
PLO, comprised of 11 factions loyal to Abbas, has signed a series of peace accords with Israel since 1993 aimed at establishing a Palestinian state.
Hamas, which rules 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, is pledged to continue fighting the state of Israel, which it does not recognise.
The Islamist group is shunned by major powers engaged in the Middle East peace process for its refusal to renounce violence.
Hamas's exiled leader, Khaled Meshaal, called last week to abolish the PLO.
Meshaal advocates a new umbrella body to represent Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and in the diaspora.
Western-backed Abbas, seeking to create a Palestinian state at peace with Israel, runs the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which is home to 2.5 million Palestinians.
Hamas is the most powerful of the "rejectionist" front of Palestinian factions -- which are based in Syria -- and could aspire to dominate a new umbrella grouping.
Failure to resolve differences over the PLO in 2007 was a major cause of the brief civil war that ended in Hamas's seizure of Gaza from the hands of security forces loyal to Abbas. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None