Europeans hold anti-Israeli protests

Thousands of people across Europe have demonstrated to express outrage over the recent Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, demanding an end to the war.

Waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans, Europeans gathered outside Israeli Embassies in a number of cities including the Spanish capital, Madrid, and the Greek capital, Athens, on Friday, to voice anger over the air and ground attacks on Gaza.

In Italy, people also gathered in front of the country’s parliament in the capital city of Rome to protest the ongoing airstrikes on Gaza.

In Germany, hundreds of people staged an anti-Israeli demonstration near Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to show their solidarity with Palestinians.

The new wave of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has claimed at least 42 lives since Wednesday. Ahmed al-Ja’abari, the popular and influential head of the Hamas military wing, the Eezzedin Qassam Brigades, was assassinated in an Israeli attack on his car on Wednesday.

The Israeli military frequently carries out airstrikes and other attacks on the Gaza Strip, saying the actions are being conducted for defensive purposes. However, in violation of international law, disproportionate force is always used and civilians are often killed or injured.

Gaza has been blockaded since 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.

The apartheid regime of Israel denies the 1.7 million people living in Gaza their basic rights, such as the freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education