Alert – Tens of thousands of protesters march for Palestine through capital cities including Paris, Brussels and Sarajevo as Israel-Hamas crisis deepens

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in European capital cities today in a show of support for Palestine as the crisis in the Middle East deepens.

There were massive demonstrations in cities such as Paris, Brussels and Sarajevo on Sunday with protesters calling for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. 

There also demonstrations with people showing support for the Jewish state, most notably in Berlin, as it continues its fightback against Hamas after its brutal terrorist attack which has claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Israelis, most of whom were civilians.

In the 15 days since Hamas launched its devastating assault Israel has pummelled Gaza with air strikes which officials in the territory say have killed thousands of people. 

And tensions in the region are still rising as preparations continue for a potential Israeli ground invasion, with Israel threatening Iran-backed militia Hezbollah they would make the ‘biggest mistake of their lives’ if they attack from Lebanon.

On Saturday more than 100,000 people turned out in Britain to show their solidarity with Palestinian civilians caught up in the conflict, with marches in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff.

The main protest in London was mainly peaceful, although a smaller protest outside the Egyptian Embassy in the capital sparked controversy after speakers were heard calling for jihad against Israel.

Today there were more protests in Europe showing support for Palestine, with tens of thousands of people going onto the streets in Belgium, France and Bosnia.

In Brussels demonstrators gathered outside the headquarters of the European Commission, which has been steadfast in its support of Israel since the conflict began just over two weeks ago.

People waved Palestinian flags and held up placards calling for a ceasefire to stop the deaths of more civilians in the territory.

In Paris thousands gathered at the Place de la Republique, a monument which has a statue of the personification of France, Marianne.

The site has long been used as a venue for demonstrations, with previous pro-Palestine rallies taking place here in recent weeks.

At the protest people chanted songs in support of the territory, while also waving flags and holding up placards calling for an end to the ‘massacre’.

On Sunday hundreds of people gathered in Sarajevo – bombed and besieged during the Bosnian war in the 1990s – to show solidarity with the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. 

‘What is happening in Gaza is simply human disaster. Collective punishment. War crimes. These things have to be named by their rightful name,’ said Nabil Naser, a Palestinian doctor who worked in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war.

More than 3,000 people attended a ‘Freedom for Palestine’ rally on Sunday at a square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Waving Palestinian flags and to the beat of drums, protesters including women and children chanted ‘Palestine will never die’ and ‘From the rivers to the sea, Palestine will be free.’

Malaysia is a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, and has no diplomatic ties with Israel. Muslims in the country have staged weekly rallies after Friday prayers outside the American Embassy, slamming the U.S. for its support of Israel.

Retiree Munir Izwan urged neighbours of the Palestinians to step up efforts to help.

‘Even in Islamic teachings, the closest neighbours should help the most in making peace between the two parties. But from what I see, the neighbouring countries of Palestine, they are only talking but no actions,’ Munir said.

Closer to home there was a ‘vigil for Gaza’ held at the Peace Statue in Brighton and Hove, where a combination of Stop the War Coalition campaigners, local Quakers, Israeli dissidents and Palestinians gathered.

There were also shows of support for Israel today, with thousands attending rallies in London and Berlin to show their support for the Jewish state and to campaign against antisemitism

In Trafalgar Square, hundreds of people held up flyers and posters of innocent Israeli civilians who have been kidnapped by Hamas and taken into Gaza by the terrorists.

In recent days there have been multiple incidents in London of people ripping down posters put up to raise awareness of the plight of those taken hostage, causing fury among British-Israelis and Jewish people.

The gathering in Berlin took place next to the Brandenburg Gate, one of Berlin’s most recognisable sights. 

The protest, organised by a broad alliance of various organisations, comes as antisemitic incidents have been rising in Germany following the violent escalation of the war in Gaza. The organizers estimated that over 20,000 people took part; police put the number at 10,000.

‘It is unbearable that Jews are living in fear again today – in our country of all places,’ President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told those gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

‘Every single attack on Jews, on Jewish institutions is a disgrace for Germany. And every single attack fills me with shame and anger.’

Earlier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was outraged by the antisemitic agitation spreading as the Gaza war rages, and warned at the inauguration of a new synagogue that the vow of ‘never again’ must be unbreakable.

Assailants threw two Molotov cocktails at a synagogue in Berlin on Wednesday, and police protection has been increased for Jewish institutions. 

Scholz, who denounced the violence on Wednesday, expanded on his comments at the inauguration of the temple in Dessau, a city in eastern Germany whose synagogue was destroyed by the Nazis 85 years ago.