Thousands hold rallies in West Balkans in support of Palestine

BELGRADE, Serbia

Thousands of people staged rallies Sunday in the capitals of Western Balkan countries to show their support for Palestine amid its conflict with Israel.

People took part in demonstrations in the main squares of the capital cities of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro carrying Palestinian and Serbian flags and chanting slogans such as "Free Palestine."

Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered in Republic Square in the Serbian capital Belgrade.

Besides carrying Palestinian and Serbian flags, they also carried banners and signs saying "End the genocide in Palestine" and "Freedom for Palestine."

In Montenegro's capital Podgorica, demonstrators gathered in front of the government building and held a peace march.

They unfurled a Palestinian flag and shouted "You don't have to be a Muslim to stand with Palestine, just be a human!" and carried banners reading "Free Palestine."

Thousands of Bosnians also gathered in front of the Sebilj fountain in the historic Baščaršija Square, one of the symbols of the capital Sarajevo.

They carried banners saying "Yesterday Srebrenica, today Gaza.”

They also chanted "Stop the genocide" and "Freedom for Palestine."

Safija Tadefi, one of the organizers of the demonstration, said they came together to show that Bosnia and Herzegovina stands by the people of Gaza.

"What is happening there is not a war, it is literally a genocide." said Tadefi.

One of the demonstrators, Munevera Cehajic, said that Bosnians not long ago lived through the war and they know what it means to be oppressed.

''I feel very sorry for those people, and I condemn the Jews because they also experienced a genocide. They know how they survived, and now they are doing the same to the Palestinians. This is something that has never been seen before; bombing hospitals, this to kill so many children. I have no words to say. Enough is enough,'' said Cehajic.

Israel has been carrying out relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip -- including on hospitals, residences and houses of worship -- since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Oct. 7.

Since then, the number of deaths in the ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed 11,100, including more than 8,000 women and children, the government media office in Gaza said on Sunday.

The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,200, according to official figures.