GAZA, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- A Fatah lawmaker on Tuesday defied a Hamas ban on marking the death anniversary of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and held a candle-lighting ceremony at his office in southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah.

    The office of Ashraf Jum'a, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), were crammed with nearly 100 supporters of Fatah who commemorated the fifth anniversary of Arafat's death.

    The event used to be a mass gathering in the Palestinian territories, but Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007, has banned public activities on this occasion for two years.

    Within the office, posters of various stages of Arafat's political and personal life were hanged on the walls, while lights of candles swayed around a photo for Arafat.

    "Today we commemorate the death of our inspirational leader Arafat," Jum'a said after he stopped reading phrases from a tiny Quran book he gently held between his hands.

    Arafat died on Nov. 11, 2004 in a French hospital two years after being forced into his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah by Israel. Reasons behind his death remain unclear.

    Jum'a has urged Hamas to stop cracking down against Fatah supporters who try to arrange broader ceremonies on the death of Arafat.

    "We call upon Hamas to take in consideration the national unity issue and also to show flexibility in its standings so we can overcome the internal split specially with the existence of an extremist government in Israel."

    Hamas has been controlling Gaza since June 2007 and allowed Fatah to hold Arafat's festival only one time since then. The rally ended with fierce clashes between Hamas policemen and the demonstrators, in which 12 people were killed, most of them civilians.

    Tuesday's ceremonies were held behind closed doors in the overcrowded, warm office and none of the participants dared to hang Arafat's posters outside.

    But Husam El Taweel, a Fatah supporter attending the event, said he is not scared when commemorating "the anniversary of our legendary leader Yasser Arafat without whom we could never reach a global awareness of our righteous cause."

    Since morning, Hamas security forces have arrested tens of activists and members of Fatah party in the Gaza Strip, officials said on Tuesday.

    A Fatah official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Hamas forces "have launched a wide detention campaign against Fatah and summoned many of its members and supporters."

    Among the detainees was Mohammed al-Nahal, a member of Fatah Revolutionary Council who was elected during the movement's sixth general conference in August.

    Elements of Hamas' Internal Security Service have taken al-Nahal from his house in the morning, a family member told Xinhua.

    But Hamas interior ministry has denied accusations that its security services were chasing down Fatah supporters trying to organize activities on Arafat's anniversary.

    Ihab al-Ghussein, spokesman for the ministry, added that Fatah had not submitted a request to the authorities asking for holding a festival to mark Arafat's death.

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