Morocco: Protesters condemn attack on Gaza, demand halt to ties with Israel

In protest of the ongoing Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip, which have claimed thousands of civilian lives, Moroccans carrying Palestinian flags marched through the streets of Rabat, the country’s capital, on Sunday. They demanded that the government sever ties with Israel. Since the war against Hamas started two months ago, hundreds of people have regularly participated in protests in Morocco against Israel’s war in Gaza, which are primarily organised by pan-Arab and Islamist organisations. The PJD, Morocco’s largest Islamist party and the party that headed the country’s elected government from 2011 to 2021, led the march on Sunday, which drew nearly 3,000 protestors. This marks the first time the movement has been vocal in its opposition. After Hamas terrorists broke over the border on October 7 and went on the rampage across Israeli cities, gunning down families in their homes, killing 1,200 people, and taking 240 hostages, Israel promised to destroy the organisation that has ruled Gaza since 2007. At least 17,700 deaths from Israeli bombings have been recorded since then, according to Gaza’s health authorities, while many more are still missing and thought to be under the debris. As part of an agreement mediated by the U.S. administration, then led by President Donald Trump, Morocco committed to fortify its relations with Israel in 2020. Washington also acknowledged Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region. The Moroccan authorities have stated that they still support the establishment of a Palestinian state and have called for a permanent truce in Gaza as well as the safety of all people living there, notwithstanding their policy of normalising relations with Israel. Since the beginning of the Gaza War on October 7, Islamist and leftist parties and organisations in Morocco have become more vocal in their opposition to the normalisation agenda. On Sunday, demonstrators demanded a boycott of companies they claim back Israel. (With agency inputs)