Demonstrators Gather in Central Beirut in Solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza

Thousands participated in a large rally in central Beirut today, Sunday, in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. Organizers urged Arab countries to cease efforts to normalize relations with Israel and called for Syria to join the war. The gathering was held near Martyrs' Square and was jointly organized by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which controls the Gaza Strip, and the Islamic Group in Lebanon. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and flags of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. This comes at a time when Israeli forces are expanding their ground operations in Gaza as part of what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as the second phase of a war that has lasted for three weeks. One of the banners read "Stop the genocide in Gaza." Demonstrators chanted, "God is our goal, jihad is our path." Omar Himour, the deputy secretary-general of the Islamic Group, told the crowds, "We say to Egypt, you have the best opportunity today to regain leadership in the Arab and Islamic world by taking a clear and bold stance," urging Cairo to open the Rafah border crossing to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The group stated that its armed wing launched a missile attack targeting Israel during recent clashes along the Lebanese border, where Iran-backed Hezbollah exchanged fire with Israeli forces in recent weeks. Himour called on Arab countries that have signed peace agreements with Israel to expel Israeli ambassadors and urged Syria, which does not have a peace agreement with Israel, to join the war alongside Hamas.