Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault

Special report:Internal situation in Palestine

A Palestinian security officer stands behind a portrait of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Jenin, Nov. 10, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    GAZA/RAMALLAH, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip marked on Saturday two-year anniversary of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's decease.

    A ceremony attended by President Mahmoud Abbas, ministers of the Hamas-led government and faction leaders was held on Saturday morning in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

    Palestinian official television and radio broadcasted the mourning ceremony lively.

    "If Yasser Arafat was present, the Palestinian scene would never have witnessed feuds and disagreements," said Ahmed Abdel Rahman, former advisor of Arafat and the spokesman of Fatah movement which is now led by Arafat's successor Mahmoud Abbas.

    Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator who accompanied Arafat after the latter signed Oslo peace accords in 1993, also delivered speech at the ceremony, saying that "the deteriorating condition of the Palestinian cause on Arab and international levels along with Israeli daily offensives are killing Arafat in his grave."

    Apart from the West Bank, the poor enclave Gaza Strip which is under Israeli siege also witnessed the commemorating activities for their historic leader.

    The posters with Arafat's pictures on it were posted all over the Gaza streets, including the street where the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) locates.

    A huge Arafat picture with a word "My dreams won't be achieved without Jerusalem" was hung in front of the PLC building.

    The Palestinians yearn for their late historic and symbolic leader today much more than ever before, especially after they experienced a cluster of changes and blows.

    Palestinians faced formidable difficulties after the decease of Arafat, who used to lead the Palestinians out of crisis.

    Two months after Arafat's death, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) defeated Arafat's Fatah movement and won the legislative elections in January and thus given the mandate to replace Fatah to form the current Hamas-led government.

    Deviating from Arafat's steps, Hamas rejected former peace deals signed by Arafat and refused to recognize Israel.

    Hamas' refusal to the international demands pushed the fledging government and the Palestinians into dual plights of economy and politics immediately after its coming to power.

    Israel and the international donors cut off the direct aid to the Palestinian government led by Hamas, which was subsequently unable to pay its 160,000 civil servants for months.

    Furthermore, Israel restored its military operation in the Gaza Strip on June 28, three days after three Palestinian militant groups, headed by a Hamas armed wing, abducted Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid on an Israeli post in southern Gaza Strip.

    The operation that caused huge Palestinian civilian casualties continued so far as the abducted soldier has been held hostage since this June.

    International siege and Israeli offensives after the death of Arafat undoubtedly deteriorated the life conditions of the already poor Palestinian people, who began to be aware of the significance of Arafat.

    In the most Palestinians' mind, Arafat is a great leader with wisdom and political skills.

    They said that both Arafat and Hamas were besieged by Israel, especially the former who had been besieged for three years, but the Palestinians were never in such a crisis like that of today under the leadership of Arafat.

    Arafat was besieged by Israeli army in his compound in West Bank city of Ramallah in 2002 following his refusal to Israel's demands and his adherence to the Palestinian principles, in particular the Palestinians' claim to Jerusalem.

    He died in a hospital in France on Nov. 11, 2004, a few days after he was allowed to go out from his residence in Ramallah after his health deteriorated.