Moroccans, Mauritanians rally in solidarity with Gaza as Israeli attacks grind on

RABAT, Morocco (AA) - Thousands rallied in Morrocco and Mauritania following Friday prayers in solidarity with Palestine and the war-torn Gaza Strip which has been under an Israeli onslaught for six months.

Hundreds of protestors in Morocco took to the streets in Zaio, Beni Mellal, M'diq and El Jadida.

Demonstrators chanted slogans that criticized continued Western support for Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza, according to Anadolu.

They waved Palestinian flags and held banners supporting the Palestinian cause, condemning the Israeli policy of starvation, attempts at forced displacement and official international silence.

In Mauritania, thousands marched in the capital, Nouakchott.

Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and banners with slogans that read: "Gaza Will Defeat Its Enemies", "Gaza Will Triumph Despite Wounds", "Gaza, The Symbol of Resilience" and "Gaza Will Not Be Broken,'' Anadolu reported.

They demanded increased popular pressure to demand an end to the war and the entry of aid into the besieged enclave, urging more protests until the war is stopped.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group, Hamas, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

At least 31,490 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and 73,439 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul