HAVANA, Cuba: Thousands of Cubans, led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, participated in a march in Havana on Monday to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The event, postponed from its original date due to Hurricane Milton, included around 250 Palestinian medical students studying in Cuba. The demonstrators carried banners reading “Long live free Palestine,” with many, including the president, donning traditional keffiyeh scarves.
The march was a response to the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas. Michel Marino, a Cuban international relations student, expressed support for Palestine’s sovereignty and condemned what he called Israel’s “genocidal crusade” against Palestinians. The conflict escalated after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths, including hostages. In retaliation, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have claimed the lives of more than 42,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Cuba, which has a long history of supporting Palestinian causes, joined South Africa in a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice against Israel over its military actions in Gaza.
