Fatah cancels Arafat memorial in Gaza after attacks

GAZA CITY: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement said Sunday it is canceling this week’s Gaza ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of Yasser Arafat’s death due to security concerns.
Gaza-based Fatah spokesman Fayez Abu Eita told AFP that Hamas said it could not guarantee security at the memorial events scheduled for Tuesday.
“We were informed by the security and political wings of Hamas that they were unable to guarantee the safety of the festival,” he said. “Faced with the danger posed to the public, we were obliged to announce its cancelation.”
The Fatah announcement comes after at least 10 explosions hit houses and cars belonging to senior Fatah members in Gaza on Friday, reportedly without causing any casualties.
Hamas security confirmed in a statement that it had informed Fatah that it was unable to guarantee the event’s security. Friday’s blasts brought a furious response from Fatah, which placed the blame squarely on Hamas, the de facto rulers in Gaza.
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, who had been due to visit Gaza on Saturday, promptly canceled his trip. One of the explosions targeted a stage in Gaza City set up for a ceremony in honor of veteran Palestinian leader Arafat, who founded Fatah.