Oct. 8 (UPI) — Palestinians are praising Hamas for its “unprecedented” offensive against occupier Israel as pro-Palestine protests are held worldwide amid the outbreak of the new war.
Sharif Tahayneh, a 54-year-old former detainee from Jenin who spent 13 years in Israeli prisons, called the Hamas strike “an earthquake that shook Israel to the core” in comments to Al-Jazeera.
“It will take years for Israel to come to terms with it. We hope that it will be a lesson to the extremists,” Tahayneh said. “We also hope that it will be a lesson to the Arab ‘normalizers’, who believe that the Palestinian cause can be sidelined.”
Abu Obeida spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas, called on Palestinians “in all areas” to “join this battle” against Israel, the Palestine Chronicle reported.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestine protesters clashed with police at a rally in Berlin while chanting “Palestine will be free,” according to video footage published by Sky News on Sunday.
Berlin Police in a statement said officers disbanded the protest because the people were gathered “to celebrate the attack on Israel.”
“Due to repeated anti-Israel and violent statements, it was disbanded shortly after it began,” Berlin Police said.
“Our forces are documenting all events on site for evidence-based prosecution and are currently determining the identities of all people who refused to leave despite the meeting being dissolved.”
A pro-Palestine rally is planned in Times Square in New York City on Sunday, the New York City chapter of Democratic Socialists said in a post on Twitter. In Colorado, the Colorado Palestine Coalition organized an “emergency protest for Palestinian resistance” on Saturday night.
“Tomorrow, join us to stand with the people of Palestine, who have the right to resist apartheid, occupation & oppression,” the post reads.
Thousands were also reported to be marching in Istanbul, Turkey, to support Palestine. Turkey’s comments have remained neutral on the latest conflict and encouraged a two-state solution.
