Qatar's emir has received a hero's welcome in the Gaza Strip as he became the first head of state to visit the Palestinian territory since Islamist Hamas militants took control in 2007.
Qatar Emir in Gaza
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Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, left, and Gaza's Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, right, arrive for the corner-stone laying ceremony for Hamad, a new residential neighborhood in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip October 23, 2012.
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Palestinian Hamas security officers guard Gaza's main road as they wait for the convoy of the Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to arrive in Gaza City, October 23, 2012.
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Qatar's First Lady Sheika Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned attends a welcome ceremony upon her arrival at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, southern Gaza Strip, October 23, 2012.
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Members of Hamas security forces sit between posters depicting senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (L) and Qatar's Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (R) in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 22, 2012.