Ramallah, Nov 12 (IANS): Palestinians in the West Bank have commemorated the 20th anniversary of the death of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
A speech festival was held on Monday at Arafat's tomb in the Palestinian Presidential Compound in Ramallah, central West Bank, organised by the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) and attended by both officials and the public, Xinhua news agency reported.
Participants in the event, including dozens of children, raised Palestinian flags, Fatah's yellow banners, and the keffiyeh that the late leader was often pictured wearing.
Mahmoud Al-Aloul, Fatah's deputy leader, said in his speech that this year's anniversary of Arafat's death came at a "difficult time" for the Palestinian people due to the ongoing Israeli "aggression".
Al-Aloul added that the Palestinian people are facing "unprecedented war crimes" as the "occupation" ignores all international agreements, laws and norms. He also criticised the international community's "silence" over the "violations and crimes" committed against Palestinians.
Ahmed Soboh, chairman of the Board of the Yasser Arafat Foundation, said the anniversary is an opportunity to highlight that Arafat's life and legacy serve as a model of resilience and steadfastness.
He emphasised the importance of national unity for survival, victory, and keeping "our rights and independent state" at the forefront of the world stage.
Also on Monday, some other West Bank cities, towns, and villages, including Tulkarm and Hebron, held activities, demonstrations, and photo exhibitions to commemorate Arafat.
Arafat passed away on November 11, 2004, at the age of 75 in a hospital in France due to an unknown illness. Palestinians accused Israel of poisoning him, a claim that Israel denies.
This year's anniversary coincides with the ongoing large-scale Israeli war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023. The conflict has resulted in more than 43,000 Palestinian deaths and widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.
This followed an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which, according to Israeli authorities, killed about 1,200 Israelis and captured about 250 hostages.