Thousands of protesters march in Europe demanding halt to Israeli bombing of Gaza

PARIS: Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators demanding a halt to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza marched in Paris, Berlin and other European cities on Saturday.

The marches reflected growing disquiet in Europe about the mounting civilian casualty toll and suffering from the Israel-Hamas war, particularly in countries with large Muslim populations, including France.

The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 9,448, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In Israel, more than 1,400 people have been killed, most of them in the Oct 7 Hamas attack that started the war.

At a Paris rally that drew several thousand protesters, demonstrators called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and some shouted “Israel, assassin!”

In central London, streets were blocked by protesters chanting, “Cease-fire now” and “I believe that we will win.”

Banners on a sound-system truck at the Paris march through rain-dampened streets read: “Stop the massacre in Gaza.” Demonstrators, many carrying Palestinian flags, chanted “Palestine will live, Palestine will win.”

Paris’ police chief authorised march, but vowed that any behaviour deemed anti-semitic or sympathetic to terrorism would not be tolerated.

Multiple countries in Europe have reported increasing anti-semitic attacks and incidents since Oct 7.