Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank have been celebrating the death of Ariel Sharon.

Crowds gathered to burn pictures of the former Israeli prime minister.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, people reacted with satisfaction to the news.

“The world lost a butcher that butchered the Palestinians and that’s it,” said Ramallah resident Mosaab Abreem. “We’re done with him now. It’s an end of this stage,” he continued.

“This is a guy who committed lots of crimes against the Palestinian people,” said local resident Fouad Jamhour. “So definitely when he doesn’t exist in this world any more, it’s something that brings pleasure to the Palestinian people,” he added.

Sharon was loathed by many across the Middle East as a bitter enemy who did his utmost to sabotage the Palestinian independence hopes.

He led military offensives against them in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza and a settlement drive on the lands they want for a state.