Hundreds of protesters gathered in Lyon on Tuesday to rally in support of Israel amid an escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Footage shows protesters holding flags of Israel and placards reading ‘Stop barbarism’, ‘Israel is eternal’ and ‘Israel will live’, among others while denouncing the Hamas attack.
“What we have seen is really close to what Daesh has been doing, unfortunately, around the world. We here in France, we are well placed to know that, because we suffered the terrorist attacks of November 13th. We have suffered the terror in our flesh, we have been touched by the Islamist terror. So it’s important to be here for the other nations suffering the same thing.” said Armand, a protester.
The protest comes after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday, October 7, firing thousands of rockets as militants broke through into Israeli territory as part of what the group described as ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’.Israel responded with airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and issued a formal declaration of war on Hamas, warning residents in Gaza to leave their homes.Figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that the death toll from retaliatory strikes by the IDF in Gaza has climbed to 788 killed, with 4,100 injured. The Israeli military said that at least 900 Israelis were killed and 2,616 injured over the course of the conflict.According to the United Nations, over 120,000 Palestinians have been displaced during the current fighting.
