Sinwar death triggers Gaza and Lebanon solidarity protests, mourning in Arab capitals

Dozens of Palestinians gathered in Ramallah, in the West Bank, on Friday to express their sorrow and anger over the death of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas' political office, who was killed during armed clashes with Israeli forces in south Gaza earlier this week.

The event began with a gathering at Al-Manara Square, where participants raised Palestinian flags and pictures of Sinwar, chanting in support of the Palestinian resistance.

After the gathering, a march was held throughout the streets of Ramallah, with participants chanting slogans praising the resistance in Palestine.

Activist Hala Al-Sharif, a Palestinian-Tunisian national, expressed her deep sorrow over Sinwar's death but found solace in the fact that he died while fighting on the front lines.

"It comforts the heart that the commander Yahya Sinwar died as a martyr with his weapon in hand, defending Palestine," she said.

In Amman, thousands of Jordanians participated in a mass protest on Friday, following midday prayers, starting from Al-Husseini Mosque in downtown Amman, to condemn the Israeli occupation's war of starvation, displacement, and genocide against Gaza. The march was organized by the National Forum for Supporting Resistance, along with Jordanian political parties and groups.

The participants carried images of Yahya Sinwar, as well as the flags of Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon. Protesters chanted in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, as well as with the Lebanese people.

They demanded that the Jordanian government sever all relations with Israel, including the annulment of the Wadi Araba peace agreement and the gas deal, while also criticizing the inaction of other Arab nations regarding the situation in Gaza.

In Syria, a protest took place in Al-Karama Square in Suweida, with calls directed at international organizations to intervene, stop the war, and curb Israeli aggression in the region. The protesters also called for the implementation of UN resolutions related to a political solution and the peaceful transition of power in Syria.

The demonstrators carried signs condemning the killing of civilians in Gaza, Lebanon, and Idlib, pointing out that the oppressor is the same, regardless of the different faces and names.

Civil activist Maha Abu Mundher told The New Arab: "We continue to stand in freedom squares despite deliberate attempts to marginalize our movement, which has now persisted for more than a year. We believe that our cause is the most important, and our slogans and goals are the basis for the liberation of the Syrian people and all oppressed nations, foremost among them the Palestinian and Lebanese people."

Civil activist Imad Al-Ashoush added: "We are not isolated from what is happening around us; we understand the destructive objectives of the Israeli war machine in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. We lament these regimes that claim to resist while they have always been cheap tools for the occupier, using their forces to suppress their own people and hold onto power."

In Yemen, thousands of Yemenis gathered in Sabaeen Square in Sanaa on Friday in solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon, under the slogan "With Gaza and Lebanon, United as One".

The march was called for by Ansar Allah (the Houthis), and participants carried Palestinian and Hezbollah flags, as well as images of Yahya Sinwar and Hassan Nasrallah, chanting slogans in support of Lebanon and Palestine and denouncing Israeli aggression.

A statement issued by the demonstrators expressed condolences to the Arab and Islamic nations, especially the Palestinian people and Hamas, over the 'martyrdom' of Yahya Sinwar. 

And in Morocco, thousands rallied to denounce the genocide in Gaza and across all of Palestine and Lebanon following Friday prayers, condemning both international silence and official Arab inaction regarding the attacks.

Protests took place in dozens of cities across Morocco, including Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, Agadir, Rabat, and Meknes, under the slogan "Jabalia, the Symbol of Sacrifice and Resilience," called for by the Moroccan Commission for Supporting the Nation's Causes.

Protesters chanted in praise of the Palestinian resistance, condemned Morocco's normalisation with Israel, and criticised Arab and international complicity with the aggression against Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq.

Mohammed Al-Riyahi Idrissi, Secretary General of the Moroccan Commission, told The New Arab that over 100 protests took place across 58 cities in Morocco to denounce the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation.

"We salute the Moroccan people for their ongoing support of Gaza. We stand with the Palestinian people, reaffirming that rights are won and not given and that the path to liberation is through resistance," Al-Riyahi added.