Worldwide pro-Palestine rallies held ahead of 7 October anniversary
Thousands of people around the world have demonstrated in support of the Palestinian people, almost one year after the 7 October massacre and hostage-taking by Hamas and the start of Israel’s retaliatory war.
Pro-Palestine rallies were held in cities including Liège, London, Dublin, Berlin, Rome, Paris, Madrid, Istanbul, Washington, Caracas and Cape Town on Saturday. A demonstration in memory of the 1,205 people killed in the Hamas attack on 7 October is due to be held in London on Sunday.
At least 41,825 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to data from the Hamas government’s ministry of Health, a figure that the UN considers reliable.
The conflict has since spread to neighbouring Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah. More than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past year.
'Time to end the suffering'
Ahead of Monday’s anniversary, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres renewed his call for an end to the “shocking violence and bloodshed” in Gaza and Lebanon.
“Today is an opportunity for the international community to once again loudly and clearly condemn Hamas’ heinous acts, especially the hostage-taking,” Guterres said in a statement.
He also demanded the “immediate and unconditional release” of the Israeli hostages, while calling on Hamas to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit them. Of the 251 people kidnapped on 7 October, 97 are still being held in Gaza, with 64 believed to be alive.
“Since 7 October, a wave of shocking violence and bloodshed has been unleashed,” Guterres said. “It is time to end the suffering that has engulfed the region.”
Meanwhile, Israel launched new attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday morning. The Israeli air force has been bombing the area for the past two weeks.
Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati called on world leaders to put pressure on Israel to commit to a ceasefire and welcomed the support expressed for Lebanon by French president Emmanuel Macron. On Saturday, Macron spoke in favour of stopping arms deliveries to Israel, drawing immediate criticism from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An Israeli air raid targeting a mosque in the Gaza Strip killed 21 people and injured dozens more on Saturday night, according to a statement from the Palestinian Civil Defence. Witnesses say the mosque was a shelter for displaced persons.
The Israeli army said it had carried out “a precise attack against Hamas terrorists operating inside a command and control centre set up in a structure that was previously used as a mosque and school in the Deir al-Balah region”. The IDF says the location was used to plan terrorist attacks against Israel.
A rally in Los Angeles, 5 October 2024 © PHOTO JAKE LEE GREEN/ZUMA PRESS WIRE
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