Tens of thousands of people around the world, including Pakistan, marched in support of Palestinians after Friday prayers as the Israeli siege of Gaza continues.
Political and religious parties staged dozens of small demonstrations across the cities of Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and the capital Islamabad. Some of them announced that they would take out rallies from Friday to Sunday to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
Israel’s military on Friday called for all civilians of Gaza City, more than 1 million people, to relocate south within 24 hours, as it amassed tanks for an expected ground invasion in response to a devastating attack by the militant group Hamas.
The UN humanitarian office said more than 400,000 people had fled their homes in Gaza and 23 aid workers had been killed. “Mass displacement continues,” it said.
The Pakistan government has condemned the “indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force by Israeli authorities” and “the inhumane blockade and collective punishment by Israeli forces”.
The United Nations has called on the Israeli army to rescind its order for the immediate relocation of 1.1 million people from north to south Gaza, as it relentlessly pounds the enclave.
The cramped and impoverished territory, where 2.3 million residents live on top of each other, has been under a land, air and sea blockade since 2006. Israel has now cut off water, electricity and food supplies, leaving the enclave in a state of siege.
The Jamaat-e-Islami organised a procession from Shahdah Mosque to Punjab Assembly Chowk in Lahore, Punjab. A large number of women were also present.
“We are standing with Palestinians,” JI leader Sirajul Haq said while addressing the protesters. “I thank the people from Karachi to Peshawar for showing solidarity with Palestinians.”
He went on to add that they can go to Gaza for Palestinian brothers and sisters. “Palestine is an issue of Islam and faith,” the JI leader said and added that Israel has occupied Palestinian land.
While describing the Palestinians as “oppressed”, he said that it was the responsibility of the Muslim Ummah to raise their voice for them.
People also held pro-Palestine demonstrations in Jahanian and Burewala.
Different religio-political parties also protested against Israel’s attacks in Palestine in Karachi, Sindh.
The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) held pro-Palestine demonstrations outside the Khwaja Shia Isnashiri Jamia Masjid in the city’s Kharadar area.
An MWM leader said that Hamas gave a befitting reply to Israel through its successful attacks under the Al Aqsa Flood operation.
Protesters said that they were standing with Palestinians in this difficult time.
Moreover, the JI organised a rally from Musa Lane in Lyari while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf held a demonstration from Numaish Chowrangi near Mazar-i-Quaid.
People also took to the streets in Larkana and Tando Allahyar.
The MWM and the PTI held rallies in Islamabad.
“Friday is the day of the pledge of allegiance to the oppressed people of Palestine. Raising voice against Israeli brutality is a moral and human duty,” MWM leader Raja Nasir Abbas Jafferi said.
He added that Israel was oppressing Palestinians and mass killings were taking place in Gaza. “We are with Palestinians. America and their forces are oppressing Muslims,” he said.
But the PTI claimed that their party supporters were arrested during the rally and described it as a continuation of the “political vendetta” against the former ruling party.
The PTI had organised a rally outside the National Press Club.
A children’s rally was also scheduled to merge with the PTI rally at the press club while a JUI protest was planned at Aabpara Chowk.
In Khyber Pakhtukhwa’s Peshawar, the PTI held a protest outside the press club.
Former KP Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra also participated in the rally.
He told supporters that they had protested in support of Palestinians who were fighting for their lives amid Israeli air strikes.
Protester Shahid Husain, 47, said the leaders of Muslim nations were failing to stand up for Palestinians.
“We came to the streets to make our rulers realise that they don’t need to be scared of the US and that the public wants them to be on the side of Palestine – not Israel and America,” he said from Peshawar’s historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar.
Different political parties, civil society members, and labour organisations gathered in Quetta, Balochistan where Israeli flags were banned and some leaders called for starting “holy war” against Israel.
The rally was led by JUI-F’s regional head Maulana Abdul Rehman. In an address to the participants, he renewed support for the people of Gaza and condemned Israeli aggression.
Similar protests were held by the PML-N, PTI, and other political parties outside the Quetta Press Club.
In a protest led by the Mili Labour Federation, provincial head Syed Habibullah Chishti demanded that the government should announce “jihad” against Israel. He added that it was the right time to reclaim Muslims complete control of Al Aqsa Mosque
People also took to the streets in Zhob, Jaffarabad and Surab.
A large number of people participated in the rally organised by political and religious parties in Gilgit.
Demonstration was held at Ittihad Chowk, Gilgit to express solidarity with the oppressed brothers and sisters of Palestine, said PTI leader Khurshid Khalid.
The delegation of MWM under the leadership of opposition leader GB Maysam Kazem also participated.
Pro-Palestine demonstrations were also held in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Muzaffarabad. Political parties and religiopolitical parties participated in the rally at the Azadi Chowk.
Protesters chanted slogans against Israeli air strikes. They demanded that the international community should abolish their alleged double standards and play its role in ending killing of Palestinians.
Similar protests were also held in all districts of the city.
A few hundred people also gathered in the Afghan cities of Kabul and Jalalabad for pro-Palestinian rallies organised by Taliban authorities.
“Palestine you are not alone, we are with you,” one speaker told the crowd. “We are poor, but we will do whatever we can. We can’t do much today but use our feet and stand in your support.”
Anti-Israel protests were also held in Iran on Friday.
In the capital Tehran, demonstrators waved Iranian, Palestinian, and Lebanese Hezbollah flags and held banners reading “Down with America” and “Down with Israel”, an AFP journalist said.
Similar gatherings took place in other cities across Iran.
Videos circulating on social media showed thousands of people taking to the streets in Amman, Jordan in support of Palestinians.
More than 10,000 people massed in central Amman near Grand Hussein Mosque, responding to call from Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, as well as several leftist and youth groups.
Thousands of protesters poured onto the streets of several Middle East capitals Friday in support of Palestinians.
“No to the occupation! No to America!” chanted demonstrators gathered in central Baghdad after religious leader Moqtada Sadr called for a protest “in support of Gaza” and against Israel, an AFP journalist reported.
“This rally is aimed at condemning what is happening in occupied Palestine, the bloodletting and the violation of rights,” said Abu Kayan, an organiser of the protest.
In the Gulf state of Bahrain, hundreds of worshippers chanted “Death to Israel!” and “Death to America!” ahead of Friday prayers at Diraz mosque.
Hundreds of people then joined a protest march, some of them waving Palestinian flags and others stamping on Israeli and US emblems that were laid on the ground.
In the Saudi capital Riyadh, an AFP journalist witnessed police cuffing a worshipper who interrupted Friday prayers by shouting at the imam: “Speak about Palestine! Gaza is under bombs!”
In Lebanon, supporters of Iran-backed Hezbollah rallied in the southern suburbs of Beirut in support of the Palestinians.
At the event, Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem said Hezbollah would be “fully prepared” to join its ally Hamas in the war against Israel when the time is right.
