Huge crowd attends funeral of Hamas parliamentarian

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Tens of thousands of Palestinians have turned out in the West Bank city of Nablus to attend the funeral of the Hamas leader Sheikh Hamid Al Bitawi. The elected Member of Parliament died on Wednesday, aged 68.

Representatives from all Palestinian factions and fellow parliamentarians were present at the funeral. Sheikh Al Bitawi had open heart surgery in Jerusalem’s Al Maqasid Hospital recently.

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Al Bitawai held several prominent public appointments, including Khateeb (sermon preacher) in Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem; President of the Association of Palestinian Scholars; and Member of the Palestinian Legislature. He was one of the 415 Palestinians who were exiled by the Israeli occupation authorities to Marj Az Zuhur, south Lebanon in 1992.

MEMO Photographer: Ibtehal Mansour