Thousands of people took to the streets in Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey, with smaller demonstrations in Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, demanding an end to Israel’s intense bombing campaign in Gaza. The protests come after nearly two weeks of air and artillery strikes by Israel, which has claimed the lives of 4,100 people according to Palestinian authorities. Israel is preparing for a ground war to eliminate Hamas, the militant group responsible for an attack on Israeli towns that resulted in the death of 1,400 people and the taking of hostages.
While some Western governments have expressed support for Israel’s military campaign, many Muslim states have called for an immediate ceasefire, with their citizens angry at the conditions in Gaza and showing solidarity with the Palestinians. Protesters in Jordan, where a significant portion of the population has Palestinian heritage, marched in the capital and near the Israeli embassy, expressing support for Hamas and urging the group to retaliate against Israel. Similar rallies were held in Turkey and Egypt, two countries that have maintained diplomatic relations with Israel, but thousands of protesters demanded an end to the bombings.
In Istanbul, demonstrators burned an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and waved Palestinian flags, while protesters in Egypt chanted “Where is the Arab army?” and gathered at the al-Azhar mosque and Tahrir Square. Some demanded military action against Israel, while others suggested alternative methods to stop the bombardment of Gaza. In Morocco, Islamists and leftists announced a sit-in protest against the government’s decision to normalize ties with Israel. Hundreds of people marched in Tunis and demonstrated in front of the U.S. embassy, denouncing Israel and the United States.
In southeast Asia, hundreds of protesters gathered near the U.S. embassies in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, burning Israeli flags and condemning the acts of aggression. Muslims in India also staged smaller protests in Jaipur and Mumbai, holding up placards calling for a free Palestine. Iran, Israel’s biggest regional foe, and its allied groups in the region also organized state-sanctioned protests. In Iraq, Shi’ite militias backed by Tehran mobilized hundreds of supporters near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, while on the Iraq-Jordan border, supporters of Iran-backed paramilitary groups staged a sit-in to express solidarity with Gaza.
The protests highlight the growing international outrage over Israel’s military campaign and its impact on the civilian population in Gaza. Calls for an immediate ceasefire and condemnation of Israel’s actions have come from various Muslim-majority countries, while Israel’s Western allies have defended its right to self-defense. The escalating violence raises concerns about the prospects for peace in the region and the long-term stability of Israeli-Palestinian relations.