Alert – Pro-Palestinian protests break out across the world demanding an end to onslaught on Gaza as Israel prepares for full-scale invasion

Pro-Palestinian protests have broken out across the world, with demonstrators in Turkey, Indonesia, France, Malaysia, Sweden, and Kyrgyzstan demanding for an end to the onslaught on Gaza.

More than 3,000 protesters marched to the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy in downtown Jakarta on Saturday to demand an end to the war and bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags, the protesters, many wearing white Islamic robes, filled a major thoroughfare in Indonesia’s capital running outside the embassy. About 1,000 police were deployed around the compound, which is blocked off by concrete road barriers. 

Meanwhile in Istanbul, smoke flares and fireworks were being set off as demonstrators gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate. Hundreds were heard passionately chanting in Turkey’s capital as they stood in solidarity and condemned the Israeli attacks. 

Elsewhere, peaceful demonstrations also took place in Denmark, Tunisia and Jordan last night. Candles were lit in solidarity and compassion for the lives lost in Gaza outside the French Embassy in Tunis and mock children’s coffins were placed on City Hall Square in Copenhagen to symbolise the number of dead Palestinian children.

The Metropolitan Police expected 100,000 people to take part in the ‘March for Palestine’ in London today, where they set off from Victoria Embankment at midday and will finish at Parliament Square at 4pm.

This comes as Israel carried out aerial bombardments of northern Gaza overnight Friday into Saturday, illuminating the sky with explosions and fire. Israel said it killed the architect of Hamas’ aerial incursion into the country on October 7, during the intense night of raids. 

The sky over Gaza City was lit up for hours after nightfall Friday as the Israeli military said it was expanding ground operations in the territory, signaling a move closer to an all-out invasion of Gaza meant to crush the ruling Hamas militant group after its bloody rampage in southern Israel three weeks ago.

The Palestinian telecom provider, Paltel, said the bombardment caused ‘complete disruption’ of internet, cellular and landline services as the besieged enclave’s 2.3 million people were largely cut off from contact with the outside world. Some satellite phones continued to function.

The Palestinian death toll passed 7,300. The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which tracks the toll, released a detailed list including names and ID numbers on Thursday. In the occupied West Bank, more than 110 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids since the war’s start three weeks ago.

More than 1,400 people were slain in Israel during the Hamas incursion, including at least 310 soldiers, according to the Israeli government. At least 229 hostages were taken into Gaza, and four hostages were released earlier.

Last night, protesters chanted ‘God is Great’ and ‘Freedom for Palestine’ during the noisy but peaceful protest organised by the Indonesian Ulema Council, known as MUI. 

Banners and placards proclaimed, ‘We stand with Gaza,’ and slammed the Israeli government while denouncing the staunch U.S. support of Israel.

‘We are not willing to allow our brothers and sisters in Palestine to be tyrannized or genocided by Israel,’ MUI Secretary General of MUI Amirsyah Tambunan told the crowd. 

‘We will continue to support and fight for Palestinian independence and sovereignty.’

In Istanbul last night, hundreds demonstrated in front of the Israeli embassy building in solidarity with the ongoing bombings in Gaza. 

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today called on Israel to ‘immediately stop this madness’ and end its ‘attacks’ on targets in Gaza after Israeli forces intensified strikes on the Palestinian territory.

‘The Israeli bombardments on Gaza intensified last night and once again targeted women, children and innocent civilians and worsened the ongoing humanitarian crisis,’ Erdogan said on X, formerly Twitter. 

‘Israel must immediately stop this madness and end its attacks.’

During two decades in power, Erdogan has repeatedly taken a stand in favour of the Palestinians, but last year he also moved to restore diplomatic relations with Israel, meeting in September with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time.

But on Wednesday he cancelled plans to visit Israel citing its ‘inhumane’ war against Hamas militants in Gaza, whom he described not as a terrorist group but as ‘liberators’ fighting for their land, drawing an angry condemnation from the Israeli government.

In Copenhagen, a Shabbat table for more than 200 hostages trapped in Gaza was set up with a place for each of the hostages at Kongens Nytorv.

Nearby, on City Hall Square in Copenhagen mock children’s coffins were placed to symbolise the number of dead Palestinian children. 

The moving display was part of a memorial service called ‘children pay the price’. 

Another vigil, where candles were lit in solidarity and compassion for the lives lost in Gaza, took place outside the French Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia yesterday. Residents gathered to pay tribute to those who have passed in the peaceful demonstration. 

In New York, protesters in black T-shirts filled the city’s iconic Grand Central Terminal during the evening rush hour on Friday to demand a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. 

Many of the protesters were detained by police and taken out of the station, their hands zip tied behind their backs. The NYPD could not immediately say how many were taken into custody.

‘Hundreds of Jews and friends are taking over Grand Central Station in a historic sit-in calling for a ceasefire,’ advocacy group Jewish Voice for Peace said on social media.

Inside the main concourse, protesters wearing shirts that read ‘cease-fire now’ and ‘not in our name’ chanted, with some holding banners in front of the list of departure times. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority asked commuters to use Penn Station as an alternative.

The scene echoed last week’s sit-in where more than 300 people were arrested for illegally demonstrating on Capitol Hill in Washington.