Thousands of Gazans are participating in activities dedicated to the anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat.

According to the agency France Press, such events are held in Gaza for the first time since 2007. Today, the Hamas authorities want to emphasize the importance of Palestinian unity and commemorate the memory of Arafat, who died in 2004, in parallel with the Palestinian leadership of Judea and Samaria.

On Thursday, several thousand people took part in the anniversary event of Arafat in Gaza, organized by Fatah. On Friday, hundreds of people took part in the "national unity marathon" organized by the Palestinian Sports Federation to support reconciliation between rival factions.

Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 after the Islamists won the parliamentary elections in the previous year. Just a few months after this ceremony, dedicated to the memory of Arafat, ended in a clash between rival factions, and until the last days did not resume.