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ROME / ISTANBUL

Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Rome on Saturday as Italy’s opposition parties joined forces to demand an end to Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.

Under the banner "Stop the massacre in Gaza, end complicity," the demonstration was organized by the center-left Democratic Party, the populist Five Star Movement, and the Greens and Left Alliance.

Protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners condemning Israel as they marched from Vittorio Emanuele Square to San Giovanni Square, where a large rally was held.

Among those marching was Annapaola, who called the government’s position on Gaza “shameful.”

“If we don’t speak out in clear terms, Western democracy will die alongside Gaza,” she said.

Another protester, Angelo, said he had attended every demonstration related to Palestine.

“What’s happening is horrific,” he said. “And the worst part is that no one talks about it. Everyone stays silent.”

At the post-march rally, leaders of the three organizing parties delivered speeches, criticizing Israeli brutality and "ethnic cleansing."

"We’ve had enough of illegal occupations, enough of bombed schools," Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein told the crowd. "More than 50,000 people have died, including over 15,000 children. These are not just numbers – they’re shattered lives and destroyed families."

Schlein criticized the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing it of using starvation as a weapon by blocking food, water, and medical aid from entering Gaza for months. She cited a UN assessment describing the situation as “ethnic cleansing.”

Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte echoed that view, saying: "What do we call all of this?" Genocide."

Conte accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government of hypocrisy and inaction, claiming some Cabinet ministers had only recently begun acknowledging the civilian death toll.

"'Sixty thousand dead is too much,' they now say," Conte remarked. "Was 30,000, 40,000, or 50,000 acceptable? Were we supposed to wait until 16,000 children were killed? The people in this square are saying: 'We are not accomplices.'"

He also called for the suspension of Italy’s military cooperation agreements with Israel, noting that his own government had previously halted such deals with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Greens and Left Alliance leader Angelo Bonelli demanded an end to Israel’s actions in both Gaza and the West Bank. "Israel's massacre in Gaza and occupation of the West Bank must stop."

Organizers said more than 300,000 people took part in the protest in Rome.

Solidarity events were also held in other cities across Italy, including a pro-Palestinian march in Milan.

Israel, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a genocidal offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned of the dire risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.