Tens of thousands expected to join Hams rally in Gaza

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend a rally in the Gaza Strip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, according to BBC News.

Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal is due to address the crowd during his first ever visit to the territory.

Meshaal's visit follows a ceasefire that ended days of violence between Israel and Hamas last month. He is expected to unveil a future strategy for Hamas and talk of reconciliation with its rival, Fatah.

Hamas removed Fatah from Gaza by force in 2007 after winning elections there. Fatah now governs parts of the West Bank.

The event is intended to send a message that, after 25 years, Hamas is a force to be reckoned with. It enjoys support in Gaza and feels it is gaining regional political influence after the Arab uprisings brought new Islamist governments to power.

Israel, the U.S. and the EU consider Hamas a terrorist organization.

The centerpiece of Saturday's rally in Gaza City is a huge replica of a type of rocket Hamas militants fired at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in the conflict with Israel last month.

Meshaal entered Gaza from Egypt at the Rafah border crossing on Friday, touching his head to the ground in celebration. He called the visit his "third birth". He said his previous two "births" were the day he survived an assassination attempt by Israeli agents in Jordan in 1997, and his actual birth in 1956.