ANKARA

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas called Tuesday for three days of protests around the world to pile pressure on Israel to end its destructive war on Gaza, as the onslaught is approaching its 600th day.

Wednesday will mark 600 days since Israel unleashed its brutal assault on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 54,000 people, mostly women and children, and injuring nearly 123,000 others.

In a statement, Hamas called for worldwide protests from May 30 to June 1 to show rejection and condemnation of “the crime of genocide and starvation of our people, and in solidarity with Gaza, Jerusalem, and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

It called for “escalating all forms of global action, in the cities and squares of the world, against the aggression, genocide, and starvation against our people in the Gaza Strip.”

Israel has kept Gaza crossings closed to food, medical, and humanitarian aid since March 2, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis in the enclave, according to government, human rights, and international reports.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister 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 crimes against defenseless civilians in the enclave.