Rafah refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Jan 1, SPA -- Tens of thousands of people gave a warm welcome to interim Palestinian leader MahmoudAbbas on Saturday. Some of them hoisted him on their shoulders andpledged loyalty to his campaign for the Palestinian presidency. The camp was decorated with large posters of Abbas, andthe crowd was in such a frenzy that Abbas was forced toleave an indoor campaign rally through the window of thebuilding. "Rafah suffers from oppression and occupation, but itwill not be defeated and humiliated and will not back downexcept after victory and the establishment of anindependent Palestinian state, with Al-Quds city as itscapital," Abbas told the cheering crowd. Abbas is the front-runner in the Jan. 9 presidentialelection., Abbas, who lives in the West Bank, traveled to Gaza thisweek to mark the 40th anniversary of the ruling Fatahmovement. On Jan. 1, 1965, Fatah carried out its firstattack on an Israeli target _ an explosion at a water towerin which one Fatah member was killed and a second arrested. At the rally, Abbas praised the residents of Rafah. "The killing and assassinations and the bulldozing didnot prevent us from visiting Rafah ... the steadfastRafah," Abbas said. Abbas repeatedly praised longtime Palestinian leaderYasser Arafat, who died on Nov. 11. Both men were among thefounders of the Fatah movement. "Today we celebrate the 40th anniversary of therevolution begun by Abu Ammar," he said, referring toArafat. "We will continue until a Palestinian boy and girlplace a Palestinian flag over the walls and minarets ofAl-Quds city," he said. Repeating previous campaign themes, Abbas pledged to finda fair solution for the hundreds of thousands of refugeesdisplaced after the establishment of Israel, called for therelease of prisoners held by Israel, and praisedPalestinians killed in the fighting. He also called forPalestinian unity.--SPA1325 Local Time 1025 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/229053