Protests erupt across Middle East over Gaza hospital attack

Doha, Oct 18

The bombardment of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital has triggered a wave of anger and protests across the Middle East with protesters taking to the streets in at least eight countries to condemn the deadly attack, media reports said.

Hundreds demonstrated outside the British and French embassies in Tehran, while several thousand gathered in Palestine Square in the centre of the city.

“Death to France and England,” protesters shouted, throwing eggs at the walls of the French embassy compound in the Iranian capital, Al Jazeera reported.

Thousands also gathered at the US and Israeli embassies in Amman with tens of thousands of others taking to the streets across the country.

Protests also erupted in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has traded fire with Israeli forces at the border.

“The Arab street has a voice. That voice may have been ignored in the past by governments in the region and the West … but they cannot do this anymore,” Bader al-Saif, a university lecturer, said. “People are on fire”, Al Jazeera reported.

Angry protesters gathered outside the French embassy in Tunis, also denouncing the US.

The hospital massacre triggered protests in the occupied West Bank, with hundreds of Palestinians taking to the streets in Ramallah. There were confrontations with security forces. One Palestinian protester has reportedly been killed by Israeli forces in a village near Ramallah.

Protests were also held in Libya, Yemen, and Morocco to denounce the attack on the hospital, Al Jazeera reported.