Oct. 8 (UPI) — Palestinians are hailing Hamas for its “unprecedented” offensive against occupier Israel as pro-Palestine protests sweep across nations amidst the eruption of the new war.
Sharif Tahayneh, a 54-year-old former detainee from Jenin who spent 13 years in Israeli prisons, described the Hamas strike as an “earthquake that shook Israel to its core” in comments to Al-Jazeera.
“Israel will take years to recover from this blow. We hope it serves as a lesson to the extremists,” expressed Tahayneh. “We also hope it serves as a lesson to the Arab ‘normalizers’ who believe they can sideline the Palestinian cause.”
Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas, called on Palestinians “in all areas” to “join this battle” against Israel, as per the Palestine Chronicle.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestine demonstrators clashed with police during a rally in Berlin, chanting “Palestine will be free,” according to video footage published by Sky News on Sunday.
Responding to the incident, Berlin Police issued a statement stating that the protest was disbanded due to participants gathering “to celebrate the attack on Israel.”
“Due to repeated anti-Israel and violent statements, the protest was disbanded shortly after it began,” confirmed Berlin Police.
“Our officers are documenting all on-site events for evidence-based prosecution and are currently identifying the individuals who refused to disperse despite the dissolution of the gathering.”
A pro-Palestine rally is scheduled to take place in New York City’s Times Square on Sunday, as announced by the New York City chapter of Democratic Socialists in a Twitter post. In Colorado, the Colorado Palestine Coalition organized an “emergency protest for Palestinian resistance” on Saturday night.
“Join us tomorrow to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, who have the right to resist apartheid, occupation & oppression,” the tweet read.
Thousands also rallied in Istanbul, Turkey, to show support for Palestine. Turkey’s stance on the conflict remains neutral, advocating for a two-state solution.
