KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) 鈥 From Berlin to London and Limassol to Karachi, tens of thousands of people took to the streets Sunday to mark the 100th day of Israel鈥檚 war with Hamas. Opposing demonstrations either demanded the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas or called for a cease-fire in Gaza.
In the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, protesters waved Palestinian flags or wore the keffiyeh, the traditional Palestinian scarf, to express their solidarity with Palestinians in a rally organized by the country鈥檚 largest religious political party, Jamaat-e-Islami.
The party鈥檚 Karachi chief, Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, called on the U.S. to stop backing Israel and compensate Palestinians for their losses. He also criticized Muslim leaders and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for not doing enough to help stop the war.
鈥淩esolutions will not solve this problem,鈥 Rehman said, adding that all 鈥渃onscientious people鈥 should support South Africa鈥檚 action to against Israel for allegedly committing genocide in Gaza.
Karachi resident Ishrat Zahid took Muslim leaders to task for 鈥減eacefully sleeping in their homes (but) not even thinking about protesting.鈥
鈥淭his is why we have gathered here, to tell our Palestinian brothers and sisters that we are with them,鈥 he said.
In the heart of the British capital, thousands of people chanted 鈥淏ring them home now鈥 in a demonstration to demand the freedom of militants in the that also killed some 1,200 Israelis and touched off the war.
Gaza health authorities say the death toll in the enclave has already eclipsed 23,000 people, roughly 1% of the Palestinian territory鈥檚 population. Thousands more remain missing or badly wounded, while 80% of the population .
Protesters in London held posters with photos and the words 鈥100 days in hell鈥 to express their solidarity with Israel.
Ayelet Svatitzky, the sister of a hostage still in captivity, warned 鈥渢here is no more time鈥 for those captured, and called for their release ahead of the 100th day since Hamas launched its attack on Israel.
鈥淢y biggest fear is, I don鈥檛 know how long it鈥檚 going to last, I don鈥檛 know how long he can hold on and I don鈥檛 know what his condition is,鈥欌 she said of her brother Nadav Popplewell, 51, one of two U.K. nationals who remain hostage.
Popplewell was captured alongside his 79-year-old mother, Channah Peri. Though Peri was released during a November cease-fire, Svatitzky鈥檚 elder brother, Roi Popplewell, was found dead near his home just after the attacks.
The demonstration comes just a day after thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated in London, Dublin and Edinburgh, calling for a permanent cease-fire in the conflict 鈥 part of a global day of action involving 30 countries.
In a reflection of ongoing tensions, members of the crowd Sunday had to wait in line to get their bags searched before entering the square. Barricades were erected on the square鈥檚 perimeter, lined by police officers and security guards.
A similar demonstration was held in Berlin, where pianist Igor Levit played a yellow piano as part of an initiative to keep the memory of the Israeli hostages alive.
Played in public places from Tel Aviv to Tokyo, the yellow grand piano aimed to bring to mind 22-year-old hostage Alon Ohel, a pianist who was abducted by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 attack on the Nova Music Festival.
Alon's mother Idit Ohel who was on hand for the demonstration said the piano is symbolic of 鈥渟omething bigger.鈥
"Music is something that is beyond Religion. Beyond gender. And it鈥檚 something that we can understand,鈥 she said.
In the French capital, several hundred protesters converged in the city center holding placards with the faces of Israeli hostages, singing for their release around a large banner strewn on the ground reading, 鈥淏ring them home now!鈥
About 100 motorcyclists waved Israeli flags and sported stickers of Israeli hostages on their bikes as they cruised around Paris in a ride to express support for Israel. The motorcycle ride followed an earlier, pro-Israeli bicycle procession around the city with cyclists waving Israeli flags and chanting 鈥淔ree the hostages.鈥
On Cyprus鈥 southern coastline outside the town of Limassol, several hundred protesters waved Palestinian flags and held placards outside the entrance of a British air force base calling for a 鈥淔ree Palestine鈥 and an end to the 鈥渟iege of Gaza.鈥
Protesters handed authorities at RAF Akrotiri a petition demanding an end to the use of the air base as a launchpad for airstrikes in the region and the alleged transfer of arms to Israel from there.
British aircraft had taken off from RAF Akrotiri 鈥 one of two military bases that Britain maintains in Cyprus 鈥 to strike Houthi targets in Yemen in recent days.
A British Ministry of Defense spokesperson said that no U.K. aircraft have delivered any lethal cargo to Israel and that the U.K. government is 鈥渇ocused on getting significantly more aid to Gaza鈥 after delivering about 96 tons of British and Cypriot to Egypt for the people in the Palestinian enclave.
In neighboring Turkey, about 2,000 marchers waved Palestinian and Turkish flags in Istanbul while paying homage to nine Turkish soldiers who were killed in northern Iraq last week.
Similar demonstrations organized by Turkey鈥檚 Humanitarian Relief Foundation were held in other Turkish cities. Foundation representative Osman Delibas linked the war in Gaza and hostilities in Iraq. Turkey holds Kurdish militants in Iraq responsible for the death of its soldiers.
鈥淭hose who supported terrorist organizations and unleashed them on us are the same ones who committed genocide in Gaza,鈥 state-run Anadolu news agency quoted Delibas as saying.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis told the faithful in St. Peter鈥檚 Square that modern warfare is 鈥渁 crime against humanity鈥 because it 鈥渟ows death among civilians and destroys cities and infrastructure.鈥 In his weekly appearance at the Vatican window overlooking the Square, the pope lamented that 鈥渁rms continue to kill and destroy鈥 when at the start of the year 鈥渨e exchanged wishes for peace,鈥 urging people not to forget those who 鈥渟uffer the cruelty of war鈥 around the world especially in Ukraine, Palestine and Israel.
In Lisbon, Portugal, ballet dancer Irina Almeida joined several thousand marchers to demand a cease-fire in Gaza as they made their way from the U.S. to the Israeli embassies, chanting 鈥淵es to peace鈥 and 鈥淣o to war.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about 100 days, it鈥檚 75 years,鈥 said Almeida. 鈥淭his is the 21st century and this should have never happened in the history of humankind, let alone at a time when we say we are so developed.鈥
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Kirka contributed from London and Hadjicostis from Nicosia, Cyprus. Associated Press photographer Christophe Ena in Paris, Associated Press videographers Fanny Brodersen in Berlin and Helena Alves in Lisbon, Associated Press writers Andrew Wilks in Istanbul and Frances D'Emilio in Rome contributed to this story.
