Thousands in Morocco protest ties with 'genocidal' Israel

RABAT — Thousands of Moroccans on Sunday again took to the streets of their capital to call for an end to their country's ties with Israel, which they denounced for "genocide" in Gaza.

Since the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza began on October 7, several large-scale demonstrations in the North African kingdom have called for the abrogation of the normalisation deal.

"Normalisation is treason," and "Stop the massacre," read banners protesters carried in front of Morocco's parliament in the centre of Rabat.

AFP journalists estimated more than 10,000 people joined the rally, some of them carrying an immense Palestinian flag.

The crowd size matched that of a similar November protest in Morocco's commercial capital Casablanca.

"We see 24 hours a day bombardments, children killed, nearly 30,000 dead and nothing stops it. The genocide continues," said Abdelhakim Ziani, 25, a medical student who joined the rally.

The demonstration was organised by leftist parties and Islamist movements.

Morocco has officially denounced what it said was “flagrant violations of the provisions of international law” by Israel in its war against Hamas.

The unprecedented October 7 surprise attack by fighters of Hamas triggered the war. 

Vowing to eliminate Hamas, Israel has responded with a relentless bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza that the Hamas-ruled territory’s health ministry says has killed at least 28,176 people, mostly women and children.