Arab support for Palestinian cause swells after Hamas assault

Beirut, Lebanon – In mosques, football stadiums and towns across the Arab world, pro-Palestinian sentiment has surged after a shock Hamas attack on Israel, sparking a groundswell of solidarity for the Palestinians.

“My entire life, I have seen Israel kill us, confiscate our lands and arrest our children,” said Farah al-Saadi, a 52-year-old coffee vendor from Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

“I was pleased by what Hamas did,” said the man, whose son is in Israeli detention, adding however that he feared the scale of Israeli retaliation.

The multi-pronged surprise assault on Israel launched before dawn on Saturday by the Palestinian militant group Hamas has left thousands dead on both sides.

Hamas militants killed some 900 people in Israel after infiltrating southern communities, shooting dead hundreds of civilians including at a desert festival and dragging 150 hostages back to Gaza.

In retaliation, Israel has bombarded Gaza leaving 765 dead and Israeli officials said they found 1,500 bodies of militant fighters in the south.

The bloodshed has seen Israelis find renewed dedication to their national cause, while Palestinians and their Arab supporters have also rallied in a rare mass show of unity across the region.

Late Tuesday, more than 4,000 people rallied in central Amman shouting “Go, go Hamas” and “From Gaza came the voice, revolution, revolution until death.”

– ‘Die silently’ –

Hours after the shock operation began on Saturday, Palestinian supporters distributed sweets in south Lebanon and the capital Beirut.

Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war and Israeli troops occupied the country’s south for 22 years.

Residents of the southern port city of Sidon set off fire crackers and gathered in public squares as mosques blasted chants praising “Palestinian resistance fighters who are writing the most wonderful, heroic epic”.

A rally was held at the American University of Beirut, where 18-year-old Palestinian student Reem Sobh said: “We are unable to carry weapons but at least, we are able to support them.”

Social media has been flooded with expressions of support for Hamas including with the hashtag in Arabic #Palestine-is-my-cause among