Israeli protesters gather near border with Gaza to demand end to war

Hundreds of Israeli protestors gathered near the border with Gaza on Friday, calling for an end to the War.

“We know that the only people that can stop this are the people that live here. We need to do everything within our power to make sure that this does not go on even one more day. And we can do it,” said Yael Agmom, who came from Jerusalem to protest. Protesters chanted for peace and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians. Some held banners reading “Palestinian Lives Matter.”

At least 23 people were killed by Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight Thursday, as Israel pressed ahead with its military offensive and let in minimal aid to the strip.

Ten people were killed by the strikes in the southern city of Khan Younis, four in the central town of Deir al-Balah and nine in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north, according to the Nasser, Al-Aqsa and Al-Ahli hospitals where the bodies were brought.

Israel is facing mounting international criticism for its latest offensive and pressure to let aid into Gaza amid a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The strip has been under an Israeli blockade for nearly three months, according to the United Nations. Experts have warned that many of Gaza’s 2 million residents are at high risk of famine.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Friday the bodies of 60 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 hours.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others.

The militants are still holding 58 captives, around a third of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive, which has destroyed large swaths of Gaza, has killed more than 53,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.