Palestinians demonstrate for unity across Gaza and the West Bank

Palestine News Network - Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and Gaza City on Tuesday for a planned rally in support of national unity and the beginning of hunger strikes. In the Gaza Strip, however, independent youth activists witnessed their protests co-opted by Hamas supporters as the green flag of Hamas flew in the streets of Gaza City.

“We condemn this act [of co-optation],” said Hassan Farahat, one of the organizers. “We were hoping that our brothers would only carry the Palestinian flag that represents all Palestinians instead of the Hamas flags.”

Hassan previously estimated that 20,000 people would join in Gaza City, but current numbers are unclear. Some youths began a hunger strike in the Square of the Unknown Soldier in Gaza City, echoing similar actions in Bethlehem, where at least ten youths began a Manger Square sit-in, and Ramallah, where hunger strikers took to al-Manar Square.

The Palestinian protests are composed of a mixture of activists with different demands, but organizers claim the main thrust of the rally is to end the division between Fatah and Hamas as a means of creating national unity and ending the 63-year Israeli occupation.

In Ramallah, at least 3,000 Palestinians marched through the central square of al-Manara. Palestinian police and security forces said on Monday that they would not try to stop the rally...
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