Today, Wednesday, thousands of citizens participated in vigils, demonstrations and marches denouncing the crimes of the Israeli occupation and its continuing aggression against the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank and the camps in Lebanon.

In Bethlehem, a large crowd of citizens and health personnel in the city participated in a protest denouncing the crimes of the Israeli occupation and its continued aggression against the Gaza Strip since the seventh of this month.

The participants gathered, in response to the invitation of the Factional Coordination Committee, federations, unions, institutions, events and churches in the Bethlehem Governorate, on the court of the Church of the Nativity, raising Palestinian flags and banners on which expressions were written condemning the crimes being committed, the most recent of which was the Baptist Hospital massacre.

Father Mitri Al-Raheb said in a speech he delivered on behalf of the churches of Bethlehem: We stand today in front of the Church of the Nativity united and denouncing a crime that shames humanity if there is some humanity left in the world that does not do anything in the face of the crimes being committed in the Gaza Strip, the latest of which is the Baptist Hospital massacre.

He added that the pain of the crime hurt us all as one indivisible people. Gaza is Bethlehem and Bethlehem is Gaza. We are one people, and our message to the occupier is that we will remain steadfast on this land and the occupation war machine will not be able to uproot us from a land that witnessed the birth of Jesus Christ.

The monk called on the world and the international community to intervene to stop the crimes in Gaza, and to open safe humanitarian corridors to supply our brothers with medicine, food, and water, stressing that our people want freedom, independence, justice, and human dignity, sending a message to the world to hear Christ’s message, which is, “I have come so that you may have a better life.”

For his part, the coordinator of the factional coordination committee in Bethlehem Governorate, Muhammad al-Jaafari, said, “We came today and in front of the Church of the Nativity to deliver a message to the world that the attacks and crimes against the Baptist Church and the hospital are a bloody massacre committed in front of the world, which did not move. Where are your consciences?”

Al-Jaafari warned against the fifth column, which is exploiting the situation to stir up chaos and strife, which would harm the social fabric to achieve agendas outside the national ranks. Therefore, we absolutely reject harming the security establishment, and the compass must remain directed to the struggle towards the brutal occupier.

The Mayor of Bethlehem, Hanna Hanania, stressed that what is happening in Gaza is an attempt at human genocide, and the world must stand up to its responsibilities to do justice to our people by achieving independence and establishing their Palestinian state with Holy Jerusalem as its capital.

In Ramallah, thousands of citizens demonstrated in the city, denouncing the massacres committed by the Israeli occupation army, for the twelfth day in a row, against our people in the Gaza Strip.

In response to factional and popular calls, thousands took part in the demonstration that took place in the streets of Ramallah, where the Palestinian flag was raised, banners denouncing the crimes of the occupation and demanding their immediate cessation, chanted slogans denouncing the occupation’s plan to displace the people of the Gaza Strip, and affirming our right to freedom, independence and national unity.

In Tulkarm, crowds took part in an angry march denouncing the Israeli occupation massacre, at Al-Baptist Hospital.

The participants raised Palestinian flags, chanted national takbirs and chants of anger at the crimes of the occupation in the Gaza Strip, and demanded urgent action from all countries of the world to support our people and end their suffering.

The march was preceded by a massive stand in the middle of Gamal Abdel Nasser Square, at the invitation of the National Action factions, during which speeches were given that emphasized the necessity of supporting our people in the steadfast Gaza Strip, and condemned the occupation’s massacres against our people, especially children, women and the sick.

It stressed that national unity to confront the occupation and strengthen the steadfastness of our people on their land is the only guarantee for achieving victory and freedom.