Hamas to celebrate 1th anniversary on Friday

Source: CCTV.com | 01-26-2007 16:34

The Hamas movement swept to power in Palestinian parliamentary elections exactly a year ago on Thursday. The militant group has said it will mark its first anniversary on Friday with rallies across the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Hamas Prime Minister, Ismail Haneya, will address the main rally in Hamas' Gaza City stronghold after prayers on Friday.

On Thursday, he commemorated Hamas' election victory by attacking Western sanctions which were imposed shortly after. Haneya has declared these to be ineffective.

Ismail Haneya, Palestinian PM, said, "The Palestinian government did not fall. It faced a lot of international pressure but did not give up the rights and concepts of the Palestinian people."

Analysts say that despite its problems, the Hamas government seems in no immediate danger of being toppled by a popular rebellion.

In the parliamentary elections one year ago, Hamas ousted President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, which had ruled exclusively since the Palestinian National Authority was formed in 1996.

Israel and the West promptly cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to the Palestinian government, in a bid to force Hamas into disarming and recognizing Israel's right to exist.

Abbas, who wants to restart peace talks with Israel, has been trying for months to form a more moderate coalition government.

But Hamas and Fatah have so far been unable to reach agreement on the proposed National Unity government.

Editor:Du Xiaodan