Doha: A mass demonstration in support of the Palestinians has been held in Qatar amid strict coronavirus restrictions, a Sputnik correspondent reports.
Hundreds of people in Qatar’s capital, Doha, as well as its suburbs, gathered in the main square of the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque, the national mosque of Qatar, on Saturday. They were calling for an end to Israeli strikes against the Gaza Strip and were voicing protest against the eviction of Palestinian families from East Jerusalem.
Demonstration in Qatar
The Saturday demonstration in Qatar was attended by members of Hamas leadership, including Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh.
Haniyeh told demonstrators in Doha that Hamas had repeatedly warned Israel “not to touch” Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem as that would be the “red line” for Palestinians.
The Hamas leader thanked Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon for offering assistance in treating Palestinians who have been wounded amid Israeli strikes.
Current escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The current escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict started earlier this month, when unrest began in East Jerusalem over an Israeli court’s decision to evict several Palestinian families from the area. The situation on the border between Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip has been deteriorating for the past week.
The Israeli army said on Saturday that a total of 2,800 rockets had been fired toward Israel from Gaza in the past days, with 430 of the projectiles having fallen within the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military says it has launched strikes against over 672 military targets in the Gaza Strip.
Several civilians and at least one soldier have been killed in Israel amid the exchange of rocket attacks. Meanwhile, Palestine has reported over 140 deaths, including more than 40 among children. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been injured amid tensions with Israel.