Catholic, Evangelical groups in Spain protest Israeli attacks on Gaza

MADRID

Representatives of more than 180 Catholic and Evangelical associations staged a protest Thursday in Spain’s capital against Israel’s war on Gaza.

They gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in Madrid in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, members of the crowd held signs saying "Free Palestine" and "Justice."

Speaking to Anadolu, Nicase Theron, a Catholic priest, said they attended the demonstration to call for peace and to show their support for Palestinians, who have been suffering for a long time.

"Stop this massacre in the name of humanity," said Theron.

Another protester, Margarita Jimenez, criticized Israel for attacking the Gaza Strip, saying Israeli forces are killing women and children, bombing hospitals and not allowing humanitarian aid to enter.

Referring to UN resolutions on a two-state solution, Jimenez noted that Israel has never recognized them and is trying to expel Palestinians from their land.

The Palestinians hope to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been adamant in his opposition to a two-state solution, despite the international community advocating it as the only viable path forward.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas. The ensuing Israeli war has killed more than 29,410 people and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Nearly 70,000 people have been injured.

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack while over 200 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe.