Tens of thousands demonstrate against Israel in several Muslim countries. In Jordan, protesters attempted to reach the West Bank border. The terrorist group Hamas had called for action.
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against Israel in several Muslim countries. There were rallies in Iraq and Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
There, hundreds of demonstrators tried to reach the border with the West Bank. According to media reports, security forces used tear gas to keep people away. The Jordanian Interior Ministry had previously warned that demonstrations near the border would be prohibited. On signs and banners, the demonstrators accused Israel and the USA of genocide.
Hamas had called for action
The radical Islamist terrorist organization Hamas called on Muslims and Palestinians all over the world to celebrate “Al-Aqsa Flood Friday” this Friday. This is how Hamas described its major attack on Israel, which left more than 1,300 Israelis dead. The call also included calls for further violence and confrontation. In Germany and other countries, the protection of Jewish and Israeli institutions was therefore further increased.
Against Israel and the USA
In Pakistan, tens of thousands took to the streets across the country, waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans, images from local media showed. The leader of the influential Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, Sirajul Haq, told supporters in the city of Lahore: “We are ready for any sacrifice and will continue to support the Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine.” There were also several rallies in Bangladesh, participants called on all Muslims to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
In the Iranian capital Tehran, demonstrators waved the Iranian, Palestinian and the Shiite terrorist militia Hezbollah flags and held banners with slogans such as “Down with America” and “Down with Israel,” a reporter from the AFP news agency reported. In the Iraqi capital Baghdad, demonstrators trampled on an Israeli flag lying on the ground. The radical Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr called for the protests. Although he belongs to the opposition, his calls were expressly supported by the government.
In Egypt, believers protested after Friday prayers. A local online newspaper reported that they chanted chants such as “With soul and blood we sacrifice for al-Aqsa.” The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is the third highest shrine in Islam. According to the Syrian state news agency Sana, there was also a pro-Palestinian rally in Damascus.