Pro-Palestinian protests staged around the world as Gaza conflict continues

Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Supporters of Palestinians under siege by Israel in their Gaza Strip enclave took to the streets around the world on Friday with many flying the Palestinian flag and calling for a cease-fire in the conflict.

The protests, held from Australia to Jordan and beyond, came as Israel prepared for a ground assault against Gaza's rulers, the Islamist militant group Hamas, in retaliation for the deaths 1,400 Israelis in a deadly and coordinated strike on Oct. 7.

Palestinian health officials said Saturday 4,385 people in Gaza have died in the resulting Israeli bombardment campaign, including 1,756 children and 967 women.

In the Australian cities of Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, crowds of people took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with New South Wales police estimating up to 15,000 people marched through Sydney's downtown area.

The march's organizers, Palestine Action Group Sydney, hailed a "massive turnout" for the turnout for the event, which stretched for blocks from the steps of Town Hall as protesters chanted "free free Palestine" and "shame shame Albanese," a reference to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decision to not visit Israel amid the conflict in Gaza.

In Malaysia and Indonesia, thousands came out in support of Palestinian civilians on Friday after prayers, crowding the streets of Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur and other cities across the country.

Some marchers carried signs reading "Stop Israel's genocide in Palestine," while others trod on the Israeli flag in demonstrations that reached the United States Embassy in Kuala Lampur.

The Malaysian protesters denounced the deaths of hundreds of people at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza this week, echoing Hamas in blaming Israel for the blast. The Israeli Defense Forces claimed the explosion was caused by the errant rocket launched by the armed group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

In Egypt, thousands of protesters gathered in universities and public spaces across the country to voice their opposition Israeli's retaliatory actions against Hamas as well as talk of relocating displaced Gazans to the Sinai Peninsula.

Egyptian media reported many of the demonstrators shouted support for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in "taking measures to protect national security," including his refusal to accept masses of Palestinian refugees from Gaza through its border.

In Jordan on Friday, thousands of people took part in a pair demonstrations in the country, including one staged near the Israeli Embassy in the capital Amman. They came in the wake of riots in the same area on Wednesday following the Al-Ahli hospital blast, in which several police officers were reportedly injured.

Friday's marches were peaceful as protesters declared they are both unified in backing the Palestinian cause and in denouncing the "individual acts" of violence witnessed earlier in the week, the Jordan Times reported.