Since the early hours of Sunday morning, the Moroccan capital Rabat has witnessed a massive protest march, with hundreds of thousands of Moroccans taking to the streets to express their anger over the continued Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and to denounce what they described as Israel’s “systematic starvation” of civilians amid an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The protest was called for by the Moroccan Front in Support of Palestine and Against Normalization, amid growing public outrage over the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, and following alarming warnings from international and human rights organizations about a looming humanitarian catastrophe that threatens the lives of thousands of civilians—particularly children—many of whom have already died due to hunger and severe shortages of food and medicine.
The demonstrators marched through some of Rabat’s main avenues, chanting powerful slogans condemning the “brutal aggression” on Gaza and the “shameful silence” of Arab and Islamic countries in the face of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in the long-besieged territory.
Protesters carried Palestinian flags and placards in Arabic, French, and English, denouncing Israel and describing it as a “criminal entity.” They also called on the international community to urgently intervene to halt the massacres, lift the blockade on Gaza, and ensure the safe flow of humanitarian aid to the besieged population.
The march saw the participation of numerous Moroccan political, civil, and human rights figures from across the ideological spectrum, all united in their condemnation of the ongoing humanitarian suffering in Gaza, with many accusing Israel of committing “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity.”
The protesters also strongly denounced what they called “international inaction” and “double standards,” demanding an end to all forms of normalization with Israel and calling for its leaders to be held accountable before international courts for what they described as a “genocidal starvation campaign.”
Participants harshly criticized what they described as the “shameful silence” of Arab and Islamic states, insisting that “silence is no longer acceptable in the face of mass killings,” and called for concrete and immediate steps to pressure for an end to the aggression and the lifting of the unjust blockade on Gaza.
The Moroccan Front in Support of Palestine stressed that the core message of the march was to “reject the use of starvation as a weapon of war,” affirming that what is happening in Gaza today is “not only a war crime, but a crime against humanity by all standards,” and emphasizing that the world must act to stop these atrocities.
This massive protest comes at a time of mounting international criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza. The United Nations and several humanitarian organizations have sounded the alarm over the worsening food insecurity and deteriorating health conditions caused by the prolonged blockade and relentless attacks.
Observers noted that Sunday’s protest was likely the largest of its kind in the Arab world since Israel began using starvation tactics against Palestinians in Gaza—highlighting the continued significance of the Palestinian cause among broad segments of Moroccan society.
