MADRID, Spain: About 20,000 people marched in Madrid on Saturday in support of the Palestinians, a day after the UN’s top court said Israel must prevent acts of genocide in its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Many of the marchers carried placards and banners condemning the “genocide” in Gaza, which has been under constant bombardment and siege since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 last year.
Some carried Palestinian flags and shouted slogans condemning Israel. Others held banners thanking South Africa for bringing a case against Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
South Africa has accused Israel of violating the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which was drafted after World War II and the Holocaust.
In its ruling on Friday, the ICJ said Israel must prevent genocide in its war with Hamas and allow aid to Gaza. However, it stopped short of calling for an end to the fighting.
The decision was condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “outrageous”, while many countries welcomed the decision. Others, such as Britain, expressed reservations.
Spain, one of the most critical voices of Israel’s offensive against Hamas, in Europe, was among those to welcome Friday’s ruling.
Relations between the two countries have soured over Madrid’s stance on the issue.
Israel recalled its top envoy in Madrid in November after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed doubts about the legality of Israel’s war in Gaza. She returned in January.
‘Children are dying’
“They were without water, without food, without anything, for almost 110 days,” one of the Madrid protesters, 54-year-old Lobna Elnakhala, said of the situation in Gaza.
“Children are dying and living in a very difficult situation.”
Some banners called for sanctions against Israel. Madrid authorities estimated attendance at 20,000.
Israel’s military campaign began soon after the October 7 attack by Hamas, which left about 1,140 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians, according to official AFP figures.
The militants also seized about 250 hostages, and Israel says about 132 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 28 dead captives.
Israel has vowed to crush Hamas, and the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza says the Israeli military offensive has killed at least 26,257 people, mostly women and children.
