KUALA LUMPUR: The rain was no deterrent to Malaysian and foreigners who braced the weather to come out to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians and protest against the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine.
Hundreds of people clad in white descended to the Axiata Arena Stadium in Bukit Jalil here on Tuesday (Oct 24) for the Himpunan Malaysia Bersama Palestine gathering, which is set to feature a speech from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He is expected to arrive at 9pm.
Many stalls were set up along the way to the arena selling flags and scarves.
Some were also seen holding "Free Palestine" banners.
At the stadium, a massive crowd had gathered, with many heard chanting and others condemning the Zionist regime in Israel.
Earlier, Anwar had called on all Malaysians to express a strong stance as a united and cohesive force in condemning the Zionist regime's atrocities against Palestine.
On Oct 7, during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza, which saw a barrage of rockets being fired towards Israel and armed individuals breaching security barriers.
In response, Israel retaliated with air strikes and military operations.
As of Tuesday (Oct 24), more than 5,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's attacks, and Gaza's health ministry has said that about 40% of its victims were children.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Israel stands at 1,405 as of Oct 24.
International reports have also stated that tens of thousands of Israeli troops have gathered along Gaza's borders in preparation for a ground invasion.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians civilians are still trapped within the 360 sq km Gaza, which is said to be one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
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