After a former Hamas commander urged followers to participate in a “Day of Rage” amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, pro-Palestinian demonstrations broke out throughout the Middle East and beyond on Friday.
Tens of thousands of people attended a rally in the capitals of Iraq, Iran, and Yemen, where there have also been significant demonstrations, with those present waving Palestinian flags. Israeli and American flags were burned by demonstrators in Iran.
Supporters of the political party and terrorist organization Hezbollah attended a protest in Beirut, Lebanon, to support the Palestinians and denounce Israel. Chants of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” echoed through the gathering of at least a few thousand people as Hezbollah officials swore to support Hamas.
According to Reuters, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors in Jordan were nearing a border area with the West Bank when riot police deployed tear gas to disperse them.
Protests in favor of the Palestinians have also taken place in other nations, such as Japan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
The demonstrations follow a call by former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal for Friday to be a day of “anger” throughout the Muslim world in support of the Palestinians and in opposition to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Meshaal exhorted citizens of nearby nations to support the struggle against Israel.
“Deliver a message, throughout the squares and the streets, with words of anger, that we’re with Palestine, that we are with Gaza,” Meshaal stated, before adding, “that we are a part of this battle.”
The Israeli government has warned Israelis living overseas to exercise additional caution ahead of the scheduled protests due to worries that the call for action may turn violent.
Pro-Palestinian protests were prohibited in France by Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin because they posed a threat to the peace, according to Agence France-Presse. Pro-Palestinian protests have also been outlawed in Germany and Hungary.
Due to the protests, security has also been increased in cities around the United States.
“The message of hatred severely disturbs us. “To ensure that they are safe,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a briefing on the city’s security plans on Thursday. This includes sending more police officers to schools and places of worship.
The “Day of Rage” follows a savage, extensive surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants that lasted over a week, during which they ambushed kibbutzim close to the Gaza border and launched thousands of missiles at southern Israel. Israel responded by waging war and pledging to wipe out Hamas.
Israeli police reported that 1,300 people have died and 3,227 more have been injured in Israel as a result of the strike by Hamas. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel’s retaliatory strikes have caused at least 1,799 deaths and 7,388 additional injuries in Gaza.
Early on Friday, Israel’s military ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza, which is home to 1.1 million people, within 24 hours due to the threat of a land invasion into Gaza.