Spain, Italy and Portugal brace for mass protests against Israel's war in Gaza

Spain, Italy and Portugal geared up Saturday for mass demonstrations to protest Israel's war in Gaza.

Protests in Spain's Madrid and Barcelona have been called for weeks ago, while calls for demonstrations in Rome and Lisbon followed widespread anger after the Israeli interception of a humanitarian aid flotilla that had set sail from Barcelona, trying to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory.

Italy already saw more than 2 million people rally on Friday across the country in a one-day general strike to support the residents of Gaza. Spain has seen an upsurge of support for Palestinians in recent weeks while its government intensifies diplomatic efforts against the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Protests against the presence of an Israeli-owned cycling team repeatedly disrupted the Spanish Vuelta last month, while Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the destruction in Gaza a "genocide" and asked for the ban of all Israeli teams from international sporting events.

The war in Gaza started after Hamas' attack on Southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left around 1,200 people dead, while 251 others were taken hostage. Israel's retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has so far killed over 66,000 people and wounded nearly 170,000 others, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government. UN agencies and many independent experts view its figures as the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

The calls for protests in Southern Europe come as Hamas said it has accepted some elements of the plan laid out by US President Donald Trump to end the nearly two-year war, which has left Gaza's largest city in famine and stirred accusations of genocide against Israel.

The protest in Barcelona is to start at noon local time, with Madrid to follow in the evening.(AP) RD RD

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