ISTANBUL

Rallies were held Friday in Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who are experiencing a devastating Israeli onslaught for more than five months.

Anadolu reported several rallies in the Moroccan cities of Tangier, Casablanca and Oujda.

The rallies marked International Women's Day and highlighted the steadfastness of women in Gaza in the face of the Israeli occupation.

The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women also marked International Women's Day by holding a news conference to highlight the situation of women in Gaza and their suffering under the occupation.

Hundreds of Mauritanians marched in the capital, Nouakchott, holding Palestinian flags and banners that demanded a halt to the Israeli war on the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Israel has waged a retaliatory offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. The offensive has killed more than 30,800 victims and injured nearly 73,000 others, in addition to mass displacement and destruction.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January, ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar