Hamas hands Arafat’s Gaza home over to independent trust

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The home of Yasser Arafat, late leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), was handed over Wednesday to the Yasser Arafat Foundation’s board of trustees, according to the Gaza Strip’s Hamas-led government.

The move, which coincides with the 11th anniversary of Arafat’s death, was carried out with the approval of the iconic leader’s widow, Suha Arafat.

Zakariya al-Agha, a member of the Fatah movement’s central committee, said the move was aimed at fostering reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, the latter of which Arafat had been a founding member.

The Yasser Arafat Foundation was established in 2007 by a presidential decree issued by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas with the aim of safeguarding Arafat’s legacy and carrying out charitable, social and academic activities.

The foundation, which is supported by the Palestinian government in Ramallah, is said to enjoy legal, financial and administrative independence.

Hamas took possession of the Arafat house in 2007 shortly after wresting the Gaza Strip from rival movement Fatah.