Mustafa Talha Öztürk
10 March 2024•Update: 10 March 2024
BELGRADE, Serbia
Thousands gathered Saturday in the capitals of Western Balkan countries to show support for Palestine amid an intensified Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip.
People in Bosnia and Herzegovina gathered with Palestinian flags in their hands in front of the public fountain in Bascarsija in Sarajevo.
Starting from Bascarsija and walking toward Ferhadiye Street, demonstrators carried banners that read: "Stop the genocide" and "Freedom for Palestine."
Demonstrators also slogans such as "Stop Israeli terrorism."
Safija Tadefi, one of the organizers, told reporters that the crowd gathered to draw attention to the difficult conditions faced by people in Palestine and to demand an immediate cease-fire.
"We raise our voice against the oppression of Palestine. We stand with the Palestinian people. We are here to show that we condemn the ongoing genocide against the people of Gaza, the shooting of education and health care institutions, and the killing of health care workers. The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina stand with the Palestinian people,'' said Tadefi.
Meanwhile, hundreds participated in protests in Serbia's Novi Pazar where most Muslims reside.
Protesters came together with banners painted in red, symbolizing blood, and created a human text message: "Free Gaza."
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.
Nearly 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 72,500 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade on most 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.
