At least 65 Palestinians have been killed in fighting and shelling by Israeli forces in the past 24 hours, and another 153 people have been injured, the enclave's health ministry said on its Telegram channel.
According to the ministry, the total number of deaths in Gaza as a result of the conflict has reached 67,139, with nearly 170,000 injured. The health ministry also noted that one more death from starvation was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total number of deaths from hunger and malnutrition-related complications has reached 460.
The Qatari television channel Al Jazeera notes that the Israel Defense Forces continue to intensively bombard the Palestinian enclave, despite ceasefire negotiations and "numerous calls to stop the bombing". In the past 48 hours alone, the Israeli Air Force has carried out more than 130 airstrikes in the Strip, including against the region's capital, Gaza City, and refugee camps.
On September 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of an offensive in Gaza City aimed at the final defeat of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. Previously, the Israeli army had repeatedly warned the local population to leave the combat zones, including by dropping leaflets on the city. On October 1, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that anyone who has not yet left Gaza will be considered terrorists.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Istanbul joined a march in support of the Palestinians in Gaza under the slogan “We are walking towards freedom“, dariknews.bg reported.
The highlight of the march was the solidarity with the activists of the international humanitarian flotilla “Global Sumud“, which was detained by the Israeli authorities. A total of 137 activists from the flotilla landed in Istanbul yesterday, 36 of whom are Turkish citizens.
With Turkish and Palestinian flags in their hands, the citizens chanted “Murderer Israel, get out of Palestine“ “Greetings to Gaza, continue the resistance“, “Liberate Palestine from the river to the sea“ and “Muslim, don't sleep, take care of your brother“.
The march in Istanbul began with a prayer at the “Hagia Sophia” church. It then headed to “Eminoyu” square on the shores of the Bosphorus, Kanal7 television reported.
According to Turkish media, the rally in Istanbul was the most crowded in the country, with many foreign tourists also taking part. Local media reported that the participants numbered over 250,000 people and even more.
Public transport was suspended due to the event.
Activists from the "Global Sumud" flotilla spoke at the rally.
One woman said that Israeli soldiers took them to prison, where they were held without bread and water for three days. Another activist said that they were left without a lawyer, and that some were tortured. Others were forced to be photographed in front of the Israeli flag.
A representative of the Turkish Humanitarian Aid Foundation (IHH), which is a co-organizer of the flotilla, said that they would file a legal complaint against Israel. “We will not give up, we will go with other flotillas”, he said, quoted by the Ihlyas Haber news agency.
“At a time when countries and international organizations are silent, the solidarity of our people gives strength to Gaza”, said a representative of the “Platform for Support for Palestine”, the organizer of the march in Istanbul.
A statement from the regional organization of the ruling Justice and Development Party, read by chairman Abdullah Özdemir, stated that “mass rallies and marches in solidarity with a Free Palestine, a Free Gaza” will continue.“
Turkish media reported that 14 Turkish activists from the humanitarian flotilla were still being detained by Israeli authorities, and that efforts were continuing for their return to their homeland.
Protests in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza and the activists of the humanitarian flotilla took place in all 81 districts of Turkey.
21 Spanish activists deported from Israel arrived at the airport in Madrid, BNR reported. Thus, the first group of activists who were part of the "Global Sumud" flotilla returned to Spain. They announced to the media that they were beaten, dragged and tied after being taken off the ships with humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Over 100 people with posters in support of Palestine, their families and journalists welcomed them at the airport.
Immediately after their arrival, the deported Spaniards announced that they had been mistreated after being arrested in Israel. They said they had been insulted, deprived of sleep and denied medical care. Some of the activists said they had been beaten, dragged and tied up. Others said that strangers had signed documents on their behalf. The deportees also said they were denied the right to an interpreter when presented with documents in Hebrew.
Among those returning to Spain are former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and Jordi Coronas, a municipal councilor in the Catalan capital.
According to unconfirmed reports, the Spanish Foreign Ministry has blocked a flight from Tel Aviv to Athens, scheduled for Monday night, to pick up all the remaining detained activists.
Thousands of people gathered in London's Trafalgar Square on Sunday to mark two years since the Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023 - the deadliest in Israel's history, BNR reported. Candles were also lit for those affected by the deadly attack outside a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday.
The event, one of many held across England, took place at the same location in central London where demonstrations in support of the banned group "Palestinian Action" were held on Saturday, during which nearly 500 protesters were arrested.
The Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Ephraim Mirvis, told the crowd: "Today we remember the precious lives that were mercilessly taken from us on October 7. We remember all the atrocities that have followed since that day.
Another spokesman, Phil Rosenberg, president of the Council of British Jews, said the community remained "determined to oppose anti-Semitism wherever it appears". He called Saturday's pro-Palestinian protests "unacceptable" because they took place in the same week that two men were killed outside a synagogue in Manchester on the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar, Yom Kippur.
However, Zoe Cohen, the organizer of the protest in support of "Palestinian Action", hit back at the criticism, saying that as a Jew she "grieved after the horrific attack outside the synagogue" but also "grieved for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed, displaced and starving in Gaza". According to her, "it is possible to be compassionate and open our hearts to the victims of multiple atrocities at the same time".