Massive demonstrations took place in several Arab and Islamic countries on Friday, condemning the Israeli aggression against the residents of the Gaza Strip and the siege imposed on them. In Lebanon, a sit-in was held after Friday prayers in the courtyard of Mohamed Amin Mosque in the center of Beirut, in support of Gaza and in rejection of the aggression being waged by the Israeli army on innocent Palestinians in the enclave. Participants raised Palestinian flags and banners affirming Beirut's support for Gaza and its people. The imam of the mosque delivered a speech emphasizing the "necessity of supporting the people of Gaza and standing by them, and holding onto the Palestinian cause." In Baalbek, a massive march was organized in solidarity with the people of Gaza, under the sponsorship of the Mufti of Baalbek-Hermel district, Sheikh Baker Al-Rifai. The Union of Palestinian Trade Unions - Lebanon branch and the Fishermen's Union in the South held a solidarity demonstration with the people of Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa, and Palestine at the marine fish market in Sidon. A popular sit-in in solidarity with Gaza also took place in the Abdul Hamid Karami "Al-Noor" square after noon prayers, where several processions launched from the city's mosques echoed chants supporting Gaza and Palestine, denouncing the Israeli aggression. The participants then marched in the streets of Tal where the movement concluded.
In Egypt, massive protests were witnessed at the Rafah crossing, around Al-Azhar Mosque, and in some Egyptian provinces, where protestors shouted angry slogans denouncing the Israeli army and calling for the necessity of aid entry and opening borders. Demonstrators chanted slogans calling for support for Palestine and granting President Sisi the mandate to make the necessary decisions to protect Egyptian sovereignty over its territory, rejecting settlement plans in Sinai. Protesters chanted in front of the Rafah crossing that "Palestine is Arab," supporting the president's decisions while raising Egyptian and Palestinian flags. The intensity of chants demanding the opening of the crossing increased, and members of the National Coalition for Civil Action carried Egyptian and Palestinian flags and photos of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in support of his position and granting him a mandate to take the required actions regarding the Palestinian cause. Protesters at the crossing also held banners in Arabic and English featuring pictures of children from Gaza.
In Iraq, hundreds of supporters of armed Iraqi factions gathered today at the main border crossing between Iraq and Jordan to express their solidarity with Gaza and demand an end to the blockade Israel imposes on the Palestinian enclave. About 800 supporters of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, a group that includes Shiite factions, had left Baghdad last night on buses heading to the border crossing in Anbar province in western Iraq. Amid tight security measures, demonstrators set up tents and organized a sit-in demanding that Israel allow aid to enter Gaza. They chanted anti-Israel slogans and opposed normalization, waving Palestinian flags. Hundreds of supporters of the Popular Mobilization Forces also gathered in Baghdad near the bridge leading to the heavily secured Green Zone, where the U.S. embassy and other missions are located. The demonstrators, wearing black clothing, carried pictures of the highest religious authority of Shiites in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while waving the Palestinian and Iraqi flags.
Thousands of Jordanians also organized a demonstration in downtown Amman and a sit-in near the Israeli embassy in solidarity with the Gaza Strip and condemning the ongoing Israeli aggression. In the West Bank, massive protest demonstrations took place in Palestinian city centers, traversing the streets of Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, and Jenin, with demonstrators expressing angry slogans calling for an end to the war on Gaza and the massacres being committed against civilians. In Qatar, large demonstrations were organized after Friday prayers in support of Palestine and Gaza, where participants raised Palestinian flags and chanted supportive slogans for the resistance. Numerous cities and towns in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib in northwestern Syria also saw demonstrations in support of Gaza, condemning the massacres being committed against civilians. The Somali Scholars Authority organized a solidarity stand with the Palestinian people in the capital Mogadishu, where dozens participated and expressed their support and solidarity with the Palestinian people facing Israeli aggression.
