Pro-Palestine rallies have been held across the world to protest the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Following the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in the wake of the deadly surprise attack launched by Hamas on Saturday, pictures showed crowds waving the Palestinian flag at a rally in Tsahrir Square in the centre of Baghdad.
In other shots, the Israeli flag was marked with a red cross and set alight as crowds gathered in the square.
The protest was called by influential Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr.
Others have since been held in the Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan and Iran.
Protesters in Iran were even seen burning the American flag at the rally in the capital, Tehran.
“This rally is aimed at condemning what is happening in occupied Palestine, the bloodletting and the violation of rights,” Abu Kayan, one of the organisers, told AFP news agency.
In Indonesia, mosques asked for God’s help to end the conflict quickly, and held another prayer for the absent.
A cleric at one of Jakarta’s most conservative mosques called for mobilising efforts to help Palestinian Muslims.
In Malaysia, some 1,000 Muslims gathered in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, after Friday prayers to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
Chanting “Free Palestine” and “Crush the Zionists,” they burned two effigies draped with Israeli flags.
“This Israeli-Palestinian issue is more than a religious issue, it’s a humanitarian issue,” said Yasmin Hadi Abdul Halim, a student.
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, 98, was among those attending the event.
“Seventy-five years ago, they took away Palestinian land to establish Israel. Not satisfied, they continued to take more land,” Mr Mahatjir said.
“It’s not just about seizing land. The people of Palestine are subjected to torture, murder, imprisonment, and long detentions. Hamas did what they did due to decades of oppression (by Israel).”
The protests come as Israel appears to be gearing up for a ground offensive in Gaza.
Israel’s military delivered sweeping evacuation orders for almost half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people Friday, according to UN agencies.
It is thought that up to 1,530 people have been killed in Gaza while at least 1,300 people have died in Israel.
Up to 150 people have been taken by Hamas militants with the Israeli military reporting that 97 of whom have been identified.
Hamas militants, however, have warned they will kill the hostages if Israel invades Gaza.
The militant group has since claimed that 13 hostages were killed by airstrikes on Gaza on Friday.
Both the UK and US have issued their support for Israel with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken saying at a joint press conference: “You may be strong enough, on your own, to defend yourselves, but as long as America exists, you will never ever have to. We will always be there by your side."
Speaking at the IMF summit in Marrakech, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt added: “I think Israel has to know that we will do absolutely everything we can and (provide) absolutely everything they need to come to their defence in their hour of need.
“They are an ally of ours, they are a democracy, they share our values and we need to be there for them, just as they would be there for us.”
He added: “This is the most appalling, brutal, murderous terrorism that I think I can remember seeing in my adult lifetime. It is absolutely gruelling looking at those pictures.
“And I think we have to make sure as a world that we are absolutely united in our condemnation of what has happened.
“And I think it reminds us, unfortunately, that all this horror is not something that humanity has put behind us, and we have to think very carefully about that.”
