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Fierce Clashes Between Pro-Palestinian Protestors & Police Break Out in Athens
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In the heart of Athens on Tuesday, tensions flared as more than 300 protesters convened outside the parliament building, voicing their dissent against the recent Israeli military operations in the southern part of the Gaza Strip known as Rafah. According to a Reuters report, these protesters, many waving Palestinian flags and brandishing banners with slogans like “Hands off Rafah!”, represent a global outcry against the escalation of conflict in the region. Noted in the Reuters report was that among them was Antonis Davanellos, a 60-year-old pensioner, who emphasized the group’s solidarity with the Palestinian cause, declaring their readiness to respond whenever called upon.
The rally, while largely peaceful, saw moments of confrontation when a subset of protesters escalated their demonstrations to the gates of the Egyptian embassy across from the parliament, leading to police intervention with tear gas to manage the unruly crowd, as was indicated in the Reuters report. These clashes, though brief, illustrate the high emotions and tensions surrounding the international perceptions of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Earlier on Tuesday, a report surfaced of a group of rioters who attempted to break in to an Athens hotel where a group of Israelis were staying. Local Athens police rushed to the scene to regain control of the area surrounding the hotel and to quell the rancorous mob. Confirmation of the rioting report was not received.
On the battleground in Gaza, the situation remains grim. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry released staggering figures on Tuesday, reporting that 34,789 Palestinians have been killed and 78,204 injured since the conflict erupted seven months ago when Hamas launched a war on Israel through a brutal massacre of 1200 Israeli civilians and the abduction of 250 others. Reports indicated that approximately 133 hostages are believed to still be held in Gaza.
It is important to note that these figures from the Gaza health ministry include both combatants and non-combatants, and there are claims from sources close to the situation suggesting that these numbers may be skewed to garner international sympathy and to portray Israel as an aggressor without distinction.
In response, Israel has continued its military operations, particularly in Rafah, aiming to dismantle the military capabilities of Hamas. Israel asserts that these operations are crucial for its national security, especially given Rafah’s strategic importance as a conduit for humanitarian supplies.
On Monday, Hamas said it had told mediators it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal, but claimed that Israel rejected the deal. In reality, Hamas had crafted a new version of the deal at the last moment before the invasion of Rafah began. Reports are circulating that Israel had not been informed of any modifications of the ceasefire deal.
The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu on Monday forcefully rejected a claim made by an Israeli official suggesting that he was responsible for torpedoing the latest round of talks with Hamas in Cairo on a potential hostage and truce deal.
The suggestion, said a statement from Netanyahu’s office, is “a complete lie and a deliberate deception of the public.”
“Hamas is the one that sabotages any deal by not moving one millimeter from its extreme demands that no Israeli government could accept,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office continued, “first and foremost, that Israel withdraw from Gaza and end the war.”
