ISTANBUL 

Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters gathered in Istanbul’s Beyazit Square on Saturday evening following evening prayers to voice their opposition to Israel’s ongoing genocide and starvation in Gaza.

The demonstration, which includes both non-governmental organizations and many members of the public, proceeded with a march toward the historic Hagia Sophia Mosque.

Participants sought to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis and express solidarity with the people of Gaza amid escalating violence and severe shortages of food and medical supplies.

Organizers called on the international community to take urgent action to end the suffering.

Israel has faced mounting outrage for its genocide in Gaza, where it has killed more than 61,000 people since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and led to deaths by hunger and starvation.

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 on the enclave.

'Extra dire every day'

Among the demonstrators was Canadian-born educator Jenny Molendyk Divleli, who said the situation has reached an ever more serious stage.

"Everybody’s aware that there’s genocide going on, but the situation now with the forced starvation of the Palestinian people, it’s extra dire every day. You know, tens of people, even maybe hundreds, are dying, so we really need to make sure that we’re making noise and doing what we can," she told Anadolu.

Raised in a conservative Christian family, Jenny converted to Islam in 2006 after extensive personal research.

Now living in Istanbul since 2012, she creates social media content – often with her five children – that explains topics like Islam and the life of the Prophet Muhammad in both English and Turkish, aimed especially at young audiences.

Divleli also noted what she sees as a global shift in attitudes toward Palestine.

"I do think that the general public opinion has changed globally. I think that more and more organizations are starting to speak up, we’re starting to see news agencies change, people who have been in the media who have been, you know, anti-Palestine now changing their opinions. I don’t think that it can be denied anymore, which makes me hopeful," she said.

Mohammed Ben Elsheikh, a Tunisian protester who has lived in Istanbul for four years, told Anadolu that the protests are aimed at amplifying the voices of Gazans.

"First of all, I would like to send my greetings to our brothers in Gaza and Hamas. May God help them. We will soon be free," he said.

He condemned the international community’s inaction.

"It is a shame that children are dying. All of Gaza is dying. A lot of things are happening — murder, starvation, imprisonment. The world is not moving. The presidents are not moving. We as a Muslim people are moving. But this is not enough."