Around the world, thousands of people protest against the war in the Middle East — to the anniversary of the invasion of Israel by Hamas

On the anniversary of the Palestinian group Hamasʼ invasion of Israel, tens of thousands of protesters around the world gathered in demonstrations calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Paris, London, Rome, Cape Town, New York and other cities. Today, October 7, marks one year since Hamas militants attacked Israel and killed more than 1 200 people. According to the UN, at least 41 000 people died in the Gaza Strip during the year due to the Israeli offensive. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has opened a new front in southern Lebanon, where it is fighting against the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

In Washington, thousands of protesters demonstrated outside the US White House demanding an end to military and other aid to Israel. They waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags. One of the protesters tried to set himself on fire.

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Protesters in New Yorkʼs Times Square wore a black and white kufie scarf and chanted slogans such as: "Gaza, Lebanon, you will rise." They held banners demanding an embargo on the supply of arms to Israel. In the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, a protest took place near the US embassy. People demanded that Washington stop supplying weapons to Israel.

In France, home to Europeʼs largest Muslim and Jewish communities, protesters took to the streets of Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Strasbourg to show solidarity with the Palestinians.

Clashes broke out between protesters and police at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Rome. Demonstrators threw bottles, firecrackers and road signs at law enforcement officers, who in response used tear gas and water cannons. The Italian authorities banned the demonstration for security reasons.

In Israel, on September 1, almost 500 000 demonstrators took to the streets of various cities — these are the largest protests in the last 18 months. The Israelis demand a ceasefire, a truce with Hamas and the return of prisoners home. The protests are still going on.

The war between Israel and Hamas

The new escalation of the war has been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a massive rocket attack on southern and central Israel, invaded the countryʼs territory and killed 1 195 civilians.

More than 1 200 people became victims of that attack, and more than 250 were taken hostage and taken to Gaza. Some of them were released, and some have already died. In response, Israel launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip, which killed about 300 IDF soldiers.

Hamas claims that more than 40 000 Gazans were killed during the Israeli operation, and hundreds of thousands were forced to leave their homes. It is impossible to confirm these data, especially regarding the dead. Hamas does not separate civilians and fighters in its statistics.

Escalation in the Middle East

In mid-September, Israel stepped up its attacks on the Iranian-controlled Lebanese group Hezbollah. On September 30, Israel launched a ground operation against the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

On September 20, IDF struck the Hezbollah high command in Beirut. The commander of the groupʼs missile division Ibrahim Kubaisi was killed in the attack. And within a week, on September 27, IDF struck the Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. The next day, the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah confirmed that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in the attack.

In Lebanon, the leader of the military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas Said Atallah Ali was also killed.

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