TEHRAN: Thousands of people gathered in several Arab countries and Iran on Friday to mark Jerusalem Day and express their support for the Palestinian cause amid the ongoing surge of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The rallies, an annual fixture in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, took place on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
In Tehran, protesters chanted “Death to Israel and to America” while waving Iranian and Palestinian flags and those of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Shiite movement Hezbollah.
Similar demonstrations occurred in Baghdad, Beirut, and Baalbek and in Palestinian refugee camps in Syria and Lebanon.
In his address to the crowd in Tehran, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf praised the Palestinians for their resilience against Israeli aggression, from Gaza to the heart of Tel Aviv.
He also accused foreign adversaries, including Israel, of fomenting unrest in Iran, referencing recent protests sparked by the custodial death of a young woman in custody.
Some demonstrators raised banners reading, “The destruction of the Israeli state is near” and “Palestine is the axis of unity of the Muslim world.” In Tehran, protesters set fire to Israeli and United States flags and images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Middle East solidarity with Palestine
The rallies come amid deadly attacks and clashes in Israel, annexed east Jerusalem, and the occupied West Bank territory, as well as the cross-border fire between Israeli troops and militants in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria.
In Syria, Palestinian fighters marched through the Yarmouk refugee camp, waving Syrian, Palestinian, and Iranian flags and chanting, “Jerusalem, we are coming.”
In Lebanon, Palestinian factions rallied through the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp, a stronghold of the Shiite force Hezbollah. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah reiterated his commitment to the Palestinian cause and the resistance against the Israeli enemy in a televised statement.
The ongoing conflict has prompted international calls for de-escalation and peace talks, but tensions continue to run high as both sides continue to exchange fire and engage in violent clashes.
The protests reflect the enduring support for the Palestinian cause across the Middle East and the sense of urgency felt by many amid the latest surge of violence in the region.
