Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets across the globe to show solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn the Israeli military’s actions following an unprecedented attack by Hamas last week.
The protest demonstrations took place on Friday, a day when Muslims gather for their most important weekly prayers, providing a powerful moment for political mobilisation.
Protesters expressed their outrage at the Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, where over 1,500 lives have been tragically lost, while a surprising attack by Hamas resulted in more than 1,300 casualties in Israel.
From Amman, Jordan, to Yemen’s capital of Sanaa, demonstrators filled the streets after Friday prayers.
In Baghdad, Iraq, Tahrir Square witnessed large crowds during protests called for by Muqtada al-Sadr. Over 500,000 people gathered for a peaceful show of solidarity. Some protesters expressed the need for more significant actions in the future.
In Yemen’s Sanaa, protesters waved both Yemeni and Palestinian flags. Live television footage showed demonstrators crowding streets and declaring their support for Islam.
In many cities of Pakistan including Islamabad also, protest rallies were held where people went so far as to step on American and Israeli flags as a sign of their strong discontent.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, around 1,000 Muslims chanted slogans like “Free Palestine” and “Crush the Zionists,” burning effigies draped with Israeli flags.
Indonesian Islamic leaders called upon mosques worldwide to pray for peace and safety in the Gaza Strip, urging all mosques to perform a special protection prayer, the Qunut Nazilahto.
Lebanon also saw mass protests, with people coming from all corners of the country to show their support. Imams in Lebanon openly denounced Israel, while protesters in Bahrain walked over Israeli and American flags.
In Bahrain, Muslims chanted “Death to Israel” during Friday prayers, expressing support for the Palestinians’ legitimate struggle.
Hezbollah supporters in Beirut waved flags, voicing their support for Gaza. While the Iranian-backed militant group has launched attacks since the Hamas assault, it hasn’t entered the war. Nonetheless, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general warned of vigilance against US and British naval vessels approaching the Mediterranean Sea.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has ignited widespread anger in the Middle East, with many perceiving Israel as an occupying force supported by the United States, consistently violating Palestinian rights.
Demonstrators argue that the Palestinians have endured various forms of injustice, including starvation and killing, leading people of conscience to stand with Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported that at least 1,799 Palestinians have lost their lives since the war’s outbreak.
As Israel’s military urged more than a million Palestinians in Gaza to evacuate to the territory’s southern region, the Palestinians in the blockaded area have been left in fear, with no access to basic necessities.
In Egypt, the government-controlled Friday sermon briefly supplicated for the Palestinians, focusing primarily on the importance of security.
In Makkah, at Islam’s holiest site, the imam called for God’s support and mercy for the Palestinians. However, the United Arab Emirates, which established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, did not mention the Palestinians in their televised Friday sermon.
Across Iran, demonstrators protested against Israel, burning flags and chanting slogans.
In New York, people gathered in large numbers on Friday to shout “Free Palestine” and express their anger at the Israeli bombings in Gaza. The protesters came from different backgrounds, with many waving Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs.
The protesters demanded an end to what they called “Israeli occupation” and the freedom of Palestinian territories.
In New York, which has a significant Jewish population, multiple demonstrations were held supporting the Palestinian cause.
Around 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Miami, and a heavy police presence was deployed to maintain a safe distance from the dozen pro-Israel demonstrators across the street.
Anas Amireh, a 51-year-old businessman and son of Palestinian immigrants, expressed concern that responding to innocent deaths in Israel with violence in Gaza is wrong and called it a “criminal war.”
He felt it was his duty as a Muslim and a human being to protest against the harm caused by the Israeli occupation.
Additionally, protests have sprung up on college campuses across the United States.
Protests are seen as an expression of support for the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation, often associated with a broader fight against injustice and oppression in a region where freedom of expression is under threat.
Despite international media’s varied coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, these demonstrations have united people worldwide in their support for Palestine and their condemnation of Israeli atrocities.
