Palestinian Americans, supporters show out in droves at Tempe rally for peace
TEMPE, Ariz. - Palestinian Americans and supporters marched through the streets of Tempe from University Drive to Mill Avenue on Saturday night.
They carried Palestinian flags as hundreds of people came out to show their support for the civilians in Gaza in the West Bank following Israel’s retaliatory attacks.
It's now been a week since Hamas launched attacks on Israel.
A Palestinian American man from Goodyear who came out with his children to the rally is asking for peace and is standing up for his people.
"We came out here to show the common human element of calling out any acts of violence against civilians and children no matter what side it’s coming from. We are against the collective punishment of an entire 2.2 million people living within 400 kilometers being bombarded. In the point of view of the great American traditions that we were raised with, there is no difference with someone launching a missile into a settlement, a state-sponsored terrorist that’s pushing a button, and bombing the heck out of everything in sight without regard to who is down there," Samer Muala said.
On Sunday, seven cities around the state will be taking part in the Arizona Stands with Israel rally where they will be hosting a community prayer asking for the safety of Israel and its people.
Latest on the war
Palestinians struggled Saturday to flee from areas of Gaza targeted by the Israeli military while grappling with a growing water and medical supply shortage ahead of an expected land offensive a week after Hamas’ bloody, wide-ranging attack into Israel.
Israel renewed calls on social media and in leaflets dropped from the air for Gaza residents to move south, while Hamas urged people to stay in their homes. The U.N. and aid groups have said such a rapid exodus along with Israel’s siege of the territory would cause untold human suffering.
Desperate Palestinians scrambled for escape from northern Gaza Saturday or huddled by the thousands at a hospital in the target zone in hopes it would be spared, as Israel intensified warnings of an imminent offensive by air, ground and sea following Hamas militants’ deadly rampage in Israel a week ago.
While workers at an Israeli military base continued efforts through the Jewish Sabbath to identify the more than 1,300 people killed in the Oct. 7 assault, Israel dropped leaflets from the air and redoubled warnings on social media for more than 1 million Gaza residents to move south.