Israeli Attack on Gaza Hospital Sparks Protests in Muslim-Majority Nations (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Israeli attack on a Gaza hospital resulting in the deaths of at least 500 Palestinians has ignited protests in various Muslim-majority countries, including Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey.
In Beirut, the resistance movement Hezbollah called for "a day of unprecedented anger," as protesters gathered in front of the US embassy in the Awkar neighborhood. Some demonstrators threw rocks at the security fence and attempted to breach it. Lebanese law enforcement responded by deploying tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd, as reported by the Lebanese news channel MTV.
Protesters also allegedly made efforts to break into the office of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in downtown Beirut.
Similar scenes unfolded in the Jordanian capital, Amman, where an enraged crowd burned Israeli flags and attempted to breach the Israeli regime embassy. An AFP correspondent noted that they breached the initial security barrier but were later pushed back by the police, who employed tear gas.
Jordan's Public Security Directorate stated, "Police handled and drove away a group of protesters who grouped near an embassy in an attempt to reach the (building)," as quoted by the Roya News website. In solidarity with the Gaza victims, Jordanian authorities canceled a summit scheduled to take place in Amman, which would have involved leaders from the US, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority.
Rallies were held in several Turkish cities, including Istanbul, Malatya, Gaziantep, and Kayseri. In Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, a large crowd assembled outside the Israeli consulate. Some protesters launched fireworks, scaled the security fence, and attempted to set the building on fire. Others hurled stones and set a US flag ablaze, according to local media reports.
Police intervened, dispersing the rioters. Fahrettin Altun, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urged those wishing to express "justified anger" over the Gaza casualties to adhere to the law and "preserve common sense."
An Israeli aerial bomb struck the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, claiming at least 500 lives on Tuesday.
Since Hamas initiated a surprise attack on occupied territories on October 7, the Israeli regime has been relentlessly pounding Gaza, killing over 3,200 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children.
