Dozens of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip marched throughout Gaza City on Tuesday, calling attention to nine years of Palestinian political divisions since Israeli forces blockaded the Gaza Strip in 2007, dissociating the small enclave from the rest of the occupied territory.
The march, called by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), winded through the streets of Gaza City and ended at the Unknown Soldier square, as protesters repeated political chants calling for the end of Palestinian political divisions and regaining national unity.
Members of the DFLP politburo and central committee participated in the march, as well as women, youth groups, and representatives from the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces.
DFLP politburo member, Ziad Jarghoun, said at the march that the action was in commemoration of the ninth anniversary of Israeli-imposed divisions across the occupied Palestinian territory.
Jarghoun added that the division was destructive, standing in the way of what he deemed the “courageous youth intifada” -- referring to the political upheaval that erupted in October across the occupied territory -- and stated that he considered the “intifada” to be an alternative option in the national political landscape.
Islamic Jihad leader, Khalid al-Batsh, gave a speech on behalf of the National and Islamic Forces, stressing the importance of unity between Palestinian political factions to uphold national rights.
Al-Batsh warned the crowd of continuing the political divisions and entering a 10th year without achieving a unification of Palestinian political entities.
The political unrest that erupted in October has further exacerbated disagreements between Palestinian parties, with Abbas, the PA, and the PLO coming under strong criticismamong Palestinian factions for the Palestinian leadership's ongoing security coordination with Israel, which the groups allege enables rather than fights the decades-long military occupation.
The majority of the more than 1.8 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are sealed inside the coastal enclave due to the continuation of a near-decade long military blockade imposed by Israel and upheld by Egypt on the southern border.
