Indonesia: Thousands gather to hold pro-Palestine rally in Medan amid Israel-Hamas war
Dec 10, 2023
Jakarta [Indonesia], December 10 : As the Israel-Hamas war entered day 65, the protests across the world both for Israel and Palestine refused to die down. Over 1000 Indonesians held a pro-Palestine rally in Medan, in the hope that a ceasefire would happen soon.
According to Al Jazeera, the pro-Palestine rally in Medan took place on Sunday in front of Istana Maimoon, the former palace of the Sultan of Deli, a major landmark there.
Mustafa Kamal Harahap, 40, a local resident, said he thought it was his responsibility as a Muslim to come and express his support.
"My motivation for attending these protests is that we hope that Palestine will be given its freedom and that there will be a ceasefire because, as the war goes on, there are more and more victims," Al Jazeera quoted Harahap as saying.
Harahap stated that he had attended three protests prior as well in various regions of Sumatra in support of Palestine and that he would attend any future events.
Since the breakout of the Gaza war, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have occurred throughout Indonesia.
Indonesia, where popular opinion is overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian, is the world's most populous Muslim country, with around 87 per cent of the country's 270 million people practicing Islam. Aside from rallies, there have been demands across the country to boycott companies seen to be associated with Israel, such as McDonald's and Starbucks, reported Al Jazeera.
Notably, the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues, as the Israel Defence Forces said its 98th Division continues to fight with Hamas in Gaza's Khan Younis. The Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on the sites of the terror group, The Times of Israel reported.
According to the IDF, troops of the Golani Infantry Brigade's 12th Battalion raided a mosque in the Khan Younis area, where Hamas operatives were present, according to The Times of Israel report.
The IDF said an explosive device was detonated near the forces and soldiers directed an attack helicopter to carry out a strike against Hamas operatives on the roof of the mosque.
The IDF said that an IAF fighter jet destroyed the mosque along with the tunnel infrastructure under it. Meanwhile, the elite Maglan unit identified three Hamas operatives coming out of a tunnel shaft in central Khan Younis and firing RPGs at the troops, according to IDF.
The IDF said Maglan troops also conducted drone strikes on additional Hamas operatives and tunnel shafts in the area.
According to IDF, the Duvdevan soldiers conducted an assault on the building, and an IAF fighter jet conducted strikes on another Hamas cell in the area. The IDF said troops of the Givati Infantry Brigade killed a number of Hamas operatives and found numerous tunnel shafts in southern Gaza.
