RABAT: Thousands of Moroccans protested in Rabat on Saturday to express their solidarity with Palestinians and to condemn normalization with Israel, holding portraits of killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, AFP reported.
The protest was sparked by the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was reportedly targeted in an Israeli strike in Iran.
The rally, organized by the National Action Group for Palestine, saw participants waving Palestinian flags, holding portraits of Haniyeh, and carrying a symbolic cardboard coffin adorned with his image. Many wore black and white keffiyeh scarves, traditional symbols of Palestinian solidarity.
The protestors marched towards the parliament building, chanting slogans such as “Greetings from Rabat to our Gazan friends and to the Al-Qassam Brigades,” in reference to the armed wing of Hamas. They also demanded an end to normalization with Israel, with some demonstrators burning Israeli flags.
Halima Hilali, a 64-year-old participant, told AFP, “Ismail Haniyeh was a leader of Palestine, he is a symbol that motivates us to protest.” She described the ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza as “a shame for humanity.”
Nabil Nasseri, 42, who traveled from the neighboring city of Sale, added, “Demonstrating is the least we can do to help our Palestinian brothers. I think all Muslims should do it.” He called for a complete cessation of relations with Israel, labeling it a “group of criminals.”
The rally underscored the growing sentiment in Morocco against the normalization of diplomatic ties with Israel. The North African country established formal relations with Israel in 2020. While Morocco has officially condemned the Israeli actions in Gaza and called for an immediate halt to the conflict, it has not publicly discussed reversing the normalization agreements.
The protest came in response to the recent killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent Palestinian leader, who was in Iran for the inauguration of the new Iranian president. Both Hamas and Tehran have vowed to avenge Haniyeh’s death, raising concerns about potential regional escalation amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
