Palestinian national and Islamist groups called on the international community to take action and pressure Israel to halt the war during a demonstration held in Gaza to mark the third anniversary of the conflict.
The protest outside the International Committee of the Red Cross building in Gaza City highlighted the loss of life, injuries and severe humanitarian conditions caused by the fighting. The speakers also said that unity in the Palestinian national position should be maintained in the face of the difficulties confronting Palestinians.
Palestinians will not leave their land
Sufyan Matar, a member of the Political Bureau of the Palestine Liberation Front, said the demonstration was held to mark the third anniversary of the war. Matar said the war had caused many people to be killed, wounded and taken captive.
Describing October 7, 2023, as the beginning of attacks and the elimination of national rights for Palestinians, Matar argued that Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank had been targeted and attempts had been made to displace them. Matar said the Palestinian people were attached to their land and would not leave the region.
Call for international action on Gaza
Mahmud Half, a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said the war on Gaza had entered its third year and that the fighting was continuing despite a year having passed since the ceasefire agreement.
Speaking during the protest, Half said that more than 74,000 people had been killed in Gaza, more than 175,000 had been wounded and thousands were missing under the rubble.
Half said that approximately 2 million Palestinians were living in severe humanitarian conditions because of the blockade and shortages of basic necessities, and called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt the war.
Half called for the parties that mediated the ceasefire agreement and the negotiating delegations to take on a more effective role, and for the national committee tasked with governing the Gaza Strip to be allowed to enter the region.
Half called for the peace mechanism within the United Nations Security Council to play an active role and for a peacekeeping force to be sent to Gaza. He argued that the Palestinian people were paying a heavy price amid serious international inaction.
Half also alleged that Israel was acting without taking agreements and international initiatives into account. The statement also included claims that approximately 90 percent of Gaza's infrastructure had been destroyed, that more than 74,000 Palestinians had been killed during the war and that more than 175,000 had been wounded.
