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Dozens of protesters gathered in front of the Italian parliament on Wednesday in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza and to demand an end to the Israel-Hamas war.
They waved Palestinian flags and held banners to call for a ceasefire.
Many protesters accused Israel of genocide, destroying hospitals and of manufacturing a humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave, such as widespread famine.
“There is a crime against humanity ongoing, a real genocide, therefore I think right to cry out our pain so that this savagery of war can stop,” said protester Giorgia Prosperi.
“When you starve a people, when you besiege it, and you don’t provide them with health care, but instead you destroy hospitals – there were 36 hospitals in Gaza and now there are only four left after all those were destroyed,” said Francesca Perri, a medic and member of a group called “Medics for Gaza”.
“They have limited capabilities to assist since they have no medicines or even bandages, they have nothing left, our colleagues amputate with no anaesthetics – all this for us is a great pain,” added Perri.
Despite a surge in international anger at Israel’s widening offensive, Israeli strikes continued to pound the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
The attacks killed at least 82 Palestinians, including several women and a week-old infant, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry and area hospitals.
Israel began allowing dozens of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza on Tuesday, but the UN says the Israeli security process to clear aid to distribution warehouses, which they’ve described as “long, complex and dangerous”, is preventing aid from quickly reaching those in need.
Additional sources • AP