TEHRAN- Opponents of the Israeli war in the Palestinian Gaza Strip have poured into the streets in the United States, Europe and some other countries across the globe condemning the brutal onslaught on the besieged territory.

The protests also marked the 76th anniversary of the mass expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians by Zionists upon the establishment of the Israeli regime in 1948. 

Palestinians refer to the tragic event, which falls on May 15 each year, as the Nakba, Arabic for catastrophe. 

Protesters in the United States rallied to commemorate the Nakba and call for an end to Israel’s war on Gaza.

NY police grab protesters 

A peaceful protest was held in the Bay Ridge neighborhood in southwest Brooklyn in New York on Saturday but police used violence to prevent it and disperse the participants.

According to Al Jazeera, New York police made over a dozen arrests, grabbed some protesters in random, and dragged them away as people yelled at officers to stop.  

The Doha-based news outlet said officers also beat and punched demonstrators on their upper bodies and around their heads. 

“Genocide is Biden’s legacy”

People also protested in the US capital to express support for Palestinians in Gaza and call for ending the war. 

“No peace on stolen land. End the killings, stop the crime/Israel out of Palestine,” the protesters chanted, according to AP. 

The demonstrators in Washington, D.C., also accused President Joe Biden of complicity in the Israeli genocide in Gaza as slogans of “Biden Biden, you will see/genocide’s your legacy” echoed through the crowd who braved rain to rally. 

The demonstrators came down hard on American lawmakers for approving batches of military aid for Israel. 

Last week, House Republicans along with more than a dozen Democrats voted on to pass legislation that would force the White House to provide arms shipments to Israel.

“This Congress does not speak for us. This Congress does not represent the will of the people. We’re paying for the bombs. We’re paying for the F-16s and F-35s. And then we do the poor Palestinians a favor and send some food,” Osama Abuirshad, executive director of American Muslims for Palestine, who was one of the speakers of the protest in Washington said. 

The protesters also condemned US police for a heavy-handed crackdown against students at college campuses. Up to 3,000 pro-Palestine students, who had set up encampments at US universities and colleges in recent weeks, have been arrested. Their main demand has focused on the severance of financial ties between their universities and companies that benefit from Israel’s war on Gaza. 

German police attack protesters

Similar rallies were staged in Europe. In Germany, many demonstrators in Berlin carried Palestinian flags and signs reading "Stop the genocide in Gaza" and "Stop the terror of occupation!" while others shouted "Free Palestine, Free Gaza."

Videos on social media show riot police attacking and beating protesters who were chanting slogans against Israel’s war on Gaza. Officers made arrests and dragged some demonstrators.

Germany is among the European countries that has adopted extreme measures to contain pro-Palestine protests since Israel launched war on Gaza on October 7. 

Germany has also outlawed slogans such as "From the river to the Sea, Palestine will be Free." 

French protests demand ceasefire

Like Germany, France has also launched clampdowns on pro-Palestine protests over the past seven months. 

At the weekend, protesters in Paris called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They demanded President Emmanuel Macron take more serious measures to stop the Israeli aggression.

The demonstrators also commemorated the 76th anniversary of the Nakba which led to permanent displacement of a majority of the Palestinian people from their homeland.

Brits blast leaders

In the UK, anti-war protesters rallied in the capital condemning officials for their involvement in Israel’s brutal war on the Gaza Strip.

The protesters in central London accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Leader Keir Starmer of being complicit in the regime’s genocide in Gaza. 

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which organized the protest, said the march commemorated “ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians.

British police arrested some protesters accusing them of using offensive placards and chants. The UK cracks down on pro-Palestine protests under the pretext of antisemitism, an allegation that demonstrators vehemently deny. 

The pro-Palestinian march was the 14th such event held in London since the Gaza war began. 

Some other countries in Europe such as Austria, Italy, Spain and Denmark saw protests against Israe’s brutal war on Gaza. 

Beyond Europe, people participated in a pro-Palestinian rally in front of the German embassy in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. They called for a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. 

Discontent grows in Israel

In the wake of growing global protests against the Gaza war, demonstrators in Israel also held rallies demanding a ceasefire deal with Hamas and the release of captives. 

Over 1,100 people were killed and about 250 others were taken captive when Hamas carried out a surprise military operation in southern Israel on October 7.

Dozens of the captives are still held in Gaza. More than 100 of them were released following a swap deal with Hamas in November last year. 

Clashes erupted between police and families of captives in Tel Aviv who called on Prime Miniter Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet to end the war and secure the release of the remaining captives. 

Such protests have become a regular occurrence in Israeli cities over the past months. 

Apart from demanding an end to the Gaza war, the demonstrators want early elections and Netanyahu’s resignation. This shows growing discontent in the Israeli society in the face of failed attempts to return captives. 

Israeli leadership crisis 

Amid rising public protests against the Gaza war in Israel, cracks are widening within the regime’s leadership. 

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has threatened to step down unless Netanyahu sets out a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip which includes the end of Hamas rule in the territory. 

His call has infuriated the embattled Israeli premier. 

Earlier, war minister Yoav Gallant, who is another war cabinet minister, urged Netanyahu to state publicly that Israel had no plans to take over civilian and military rule in Gaza. 

Growing rifts in the Israeli war cabinet come in the wake of the regime’s failure to “destroy” Hamas and “achieve total” victory over the resistance movement. 

Israel has slaughtered over 35,400 Palestinians including more than 15,000 children since October 7. Nonetheless, it has been unable to pit Palestinians against Hamas whose popularity has been on the rise. 

Israel has suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of resistance groups in the battlefield.  Besides, domestic divisions in Israel and global pro-Palestine protests have put the spotlight on the regime’s growing isolation in the international arena.