Major European capitals saw large demonstrations as tens of thousands of both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli activists took to the streets, demanding an end to the Gaza conflict, one year after the war started.
Thousands of protesters rallied in major cities around the globe on Saturday, urging an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the wider Middle East as the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel approaches.
Approximately 40,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London, while thousands gathered in Paris, Rome, Manila, Cape Town, and New York City. In Washington, protesters rallied near the White House, criticizing U.S. military support for Israel's campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon.
In New York's Times Square, demonstrators shouted slogans such as, "Gaza, Lebanon, you will rise; the people are by your side." They carried signs calling for an arms embargo on Israel.
In Jakarta, Indonesia's capital and the largest Muslim-majority country, at least 1,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators assembled near the U.S. embassy on Sunday, urging Washington to cease its arms supply to Israel.
In London, counter-protesters waved Israeli flags as pro-Palestinian marchers passed by, leading to 15 arrests, although police did not clarify the affiliations of those detained.
In Rome, police deployed tear gas and water cannons after clashes erupted, with around 6,000 protesters marching in defiance of a ban in the city center ahead of the October 7 anniversary.
Meanwhile, in Berlin, about 1,000 demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted, "One Year of Genocide," in reference to the ongoing allegations of genocide against Israel at the World Court, which Israel denies. German protesters also condemned what they viewed as police brutality against pro-Palestinian activists, while supporters of Israel rallied against increasing antisemitism, resulting in confrontations between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
The conflict in Gaza escalated when Hamas militants from Palestine launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of approximately 250 others, according to Israeli reports.
In retaliation, Israel initiated a military offensive on Gaza, which has reportedly resulted in nearly 42,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Gaza health ministry. This assault has devastated the region, displacing almost the entire population of 2.3 million and leading to a severe hunger crisis.
In the past year, the extensive violence and destruction in Gaza have sparked significant global protests, including prolonged demonstrations at U.S. college campuses in support of Palestine. Concerns have been raised about antisemitic and Islamophobic rhetoric surrounding these protests.
While the U.S. and its allies have endorsed Israel's right to self-defense, Israel has faced considerable international criticism for its actions in Gaza and its attacks on Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims his government is working to prevent a repeat of the October 7 Hamas assault.
The war in Gaza has spread regionally, involving Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq. Israel has intensified its campaign in Lebanon recently, while Iran launched a missile attack on Israel this week, which Israel has yet to address.
In Paris, Lebanese-French protestor Houssam Houssein said: "We fear a regional war, because there are tensions with Iran at the moment, and perhaps with Iraq and Yemen." Houssein added: "We really need to stop the war because it's now become unbearable."
A 17-year-old boy has been identified as the gunman responsible for the killing of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in Mexico’s Michoacán state, ...
Armed pirates boarded a Malta-flagged products tanker off the coast of Somalia on Thursday, but the crew managed to secure themselves in a fortified s...
Türkiye’s benchmark BIST 100 index ended Thursday up 0.94%, closing at 11,073.27 points. Opening the day at 11,029.29, the index gained 102.9 point...
Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro skipped parliamentary proceedings on Thursday that could result in him being stripped of his immunity a...
Tensions between Brussels and Tbilisi are deepening following the European Commission’s latest enlargement report, which delivers one of the most cr...
The detention of Israel’s former military Advocate General has been extended until Friday as investigators probe a video leak showing soldiers allegedly abusing a Palestinian detainee.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 4th of November, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Israel’s top military legal officer Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned last week, has been arrested over the leak of a video showing soldiers brutally assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military prison.
The Israeli army says Hamas has transferred the remains of three Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The Champions League match between Qarabağ FK and Chelsea ended 2–2 at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan on Wednesday (5 November).
Brussels airport, Belgium's busiest, reopened on Wednesday morning after drone sightings during the previous night had resulted in it being temporarily closed, although some flights remained disrupted, its website said.
A French court has postponed the trial of a suspect linked to the Louvre jewellery heist in a separate case, citing heavy media scrutiny and concerns about the fairness of the proceedings.
U.S. federal investigators have recovered the flight recorders from the wreckage of a UPS cargo plane that crashed and erupted in flames during takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least 12 people and halting airport operations.
A 35-year-old man drove his car into pedestrians and cyclists on France’s Oléron island on Wednesday, injuring at least nine people in an attack that has drawn attention from national leaders.
Kazakhstan and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in critical minerals, the Kazakh presidential press service Akorda announced on Thursday.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has reported that Hurricane Melissa left behind almost 5 million metric tons of debris across western Jamaica when it struck the island on 28 October.
A new country is poised to join the Abraham Accords, the series of normalisation agreements with Israel, according to U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The United Nations has reported that Israel has rejected 107 requests to deliver humanitarian aid materials into the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October, preventing essential relief from reaching civilians.
A 17-year-old boy has been identified as the gunman responsible for the killing of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in Mexico’s Michoacán state, during a public event over the weekend, state prosecutors confirmed on Thursday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment