RABAT, Morocco

Thousands of Moroccans staged solidarity protests on Friday in support of Gaza which has been enduring genocide and ethnic cleansing by Israel for over a year.

The demonstrations, organized by the Moroccan Commission for Advocating the Nation's Causes, a non-governmental group, were held after Friday prayers in multiple cities across the country.

The rallies marked the 62nd consecutive week of protests under the slogan “Gaza is a Trust, Normalization is Betrayal.”

Protesters condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians and criticized the international community’s inability to stop the violations, according to an Anadolu reporter.

Chants included “Moroccan Salute to Free Palestine,” “Palestine Belongs to the Free,” and “Normalization is a Stain of Shame.” Demonstrators also held signs reading “Palestine is a Trust, Normalization is Betrayal” and “We Stand with Gaza, We Stand with Palestine.”

On Dec. 10, 2020, the Morocco and Israel announced the resumption of diplomatic relations after they were suspended in 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian Intifada.

Morocco was the fourth Arab country to agree to normalize ties with Israel in 2020 after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 44,900 victims, mostly women and children, since an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense chief Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio