Thousands of protesters across the world poured into the streets overnight Tuesday to protest the inhumane Israeli attack on a Gaza Strip hospital that killed hundreds of civilians. In Türkiye, a champion of the Palestinian cause, rallies erupted in most of 81 provinces to condemn the attack.
Several Muslim-majority countries also announced days of mourning for the victims.
Numerous demonstrators gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday evening. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “Down with Israel!” Police were on the scene with a large contingent to protect the consulate. Protesters varied, from people who spontaneously came to the consulate for individual protests to demonstrators organized by the local branch of the New Welfare Party (YRP). After protesters dispersed late Tuesday, police deployed iron barriers and armored vehicles around the building. The building housing the consulate was closed to visitors.
Istanbul Governorate said on Wednesday that a 65-year-old man who was among protesters died of a heart attack in the hospital he was taken to after he went unconscious. The governorate said 63 people, including 43 police officers, were injured during the confrontation between protesters and police.
"We are deeply hurt that we had to intervene (in the protest) at a time when we are feeling sorrow. We call upon our citizens to avoid irrevocable actions while exhibiting their reaction to Israel's bombardment of civilians which resembles terror attacks," the governorate said. The governorate noted that police had to intervene when a group of protesters tried to storm the consulate building and started hurling stones and sticks, launching fireworks toward the building, nearby buildings and the police.
Thousands convened outside the Israeli Embassy in the capital, Ankara, as riot police were deployed to assuage the angry crowd, shouting slogans and occasionally throwing objects toward the well-fortified building. Among the crowd were representatives of nongovernmental organizations and members of some political parties. The protest continued well into the early hours of Wednesday while streets around the building were sealed off. Turkish police stood guard in the area even after the protests had ceased for the day. Protesters performed funeral prayers in absentia for victims of the hospital attack and recited verses from the Quran.
Some protesters outside the embassy tried to scale security barriers but were stopped by police. Ankara Governor Vasip Şahin urged the protesters to calm down. “This nation stands against injustice and unfair treatment. I think you made your message heard today. Please stage your protest in a dignified, reasonable way and adhere to laws,” he told the crowd.
The Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) announced that funeral prayers in absentia would be performed in all mosques in Türkiye following noon prayers. Noon prayers will also be preceded by sala, a form of Muslim call to prayer that is usually recited by muezzins at mosques before funerals and days of mourning.
In the southern city of Adana, where a U.S. Consulate is located, hundreds of protesters converged outside the building. They were angered at U.S. support for Israel and dispersed after a lengthy rally late at night. Similarly, in the eastern province of Malatya, a large crowd gathered around a U.S. radar station as local security forces took strict security measures.
In Amman, demonstrators tried to attack the Israeli Embassy, Jordan’s official Petra news agency reported. Jordanian security sources denied reports that the building had been stormed.
The protesters had been removed from the area, they said. Videos on social media showed protesters shouting at the embassy.
In Tunisia’s capital, Tunis, hundreds protested in front of the French Embassy after the incident, state agency Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported. In Baghdad, Iraq, hundreds gathered in the city center, according to eyewitnesses.
In the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters demanded that Tel Aviv be bombed. In central Beirut, police used tear gas against demonstrators near the U.S. Embassy, according to witnesses.
In Iran, the state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) showed a crowd in Tehran chanting “Down with Israel.” The Iranian government declared Wednesday a day of mourning. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson strongly condemned the attack and blamed Israel.
Crowds marched outside the British Embassy, waving Palestinian flags. There were also protests in front of the French mission.
Hundreds of people were killed and injured in the Israeli missile strike on the hospital in the Gaza Strip, according to the local Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, in Germany’s capital, Berlin, police intervened to break up a pro-Palestinian vigil. According to police, more than 300 people had gathered at the Brandenburg Gate – a Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) photographer estimated the crowd at about 1,000.
Police said on the social media platform X that clashes broke out when police officers prevented protesters from marching further.
