Protests planned across the US and world to mark a year of Israel's war in Gaza

Demonstrations are planned in cities around the world this weekend, including in some conservative US states, to mark one year since Israel's war in Gaza began.

The gatherings, called a Global Day of Action, which have been in the works for some time, will also highlight Israel's recent escalation of the war in Lebanon and other neighbouring countries.

"We've seen this form of collective punishment in Gaza, and now it's expanding," Nidaa Lafi, a Dallas-based organiser with the Palestinian Youth Movement, told The New Arab. 

"This day of action is for us to send a message to western governments and to every complicit entity that we, the masses around the world, stand with Palestine," she said.

Since the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,100 Israelis, the Israeli military have killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

Some estimates put the Palestinian death toll much higher, particularly when combined with the war's effects on the densely populated enclave's sanitation and healthcare system. Multiple experts have described Israel's actions as genocide, pointing to the US as the key enabler.

A strong emphasis of the worldwide protests this weekend, particularly in the US, will be to highlight US and European support for Israel. 

The US is by far Israel's largest benefactor, having substantially boosted its military aid to Israel since the conflict began. Last week, Israel announced it had secured an $8.7 billion aid package from the US. This is in addition to its baseline of around $4 billion annually of military aid to Israel.

Many of the protest organisers are Palestinians living in the diaspora. However, attendees are expected to come from a wide range of backgrounds, as seen in previous demonstrations.

US media have reported that police departments across the country are bracing for days of massive protests starting this weekend. However,  pro-Palestinian demonstrations over the past year have been largely peaceful.