Hundreds turn out for pro-Palestine rally in Downtown Atlanta
ATLANTA - Hundreds of supporters of Palestine gathered in Downtown Atlanta Friday for a rally as the conflict overseas between Israel and Hamas continues.
The rally started at the CNN Center, with supporters then taking to the streets of Downtown Atlanta.
SKYFOX 5 flew over the area where demonstrators could be seen waving Palestinian flags and holding up signs.
Organizers have urged supporters to show solidarity for Palestine and to stand together for justice and human rights.
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More than 4,100 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry run by Hamas. That includes a disputed number of people who died in a hospital explosion earlier this week.
A potential Israeli ground assault is likely to lead to a dramatic escalation in casualties on both sides in urban fighting. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed in the war — mostly civilians slain during the Hamas incursion.
Israel occupied Gaza from 1967 until 2005, when it pulled up settlements and withdrew soldiers. Two years later, Hamas took over. Some Israelis blame the withdrawal from Gaza for the sporadic violence that has persisted since then.
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The humanitarian crisis has worsened for Gaza’s civilians every day since Israel halted entry of supplies two weeks ago, depleting fuel, food, water and medicine. Two days after Israel announced a deal to allow Egypt to send in aid, the border remained closed Friday as Egypt repaired the Rafah crossing, damaged by Israeli strikes.
Over a million people have been displaced in Gaza. Many heeded Israel’s orders to evacuate the northern part of the sealed-off enclave on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. But Israel has continued to bomb areas in southern Gaza where Palestinians had been told to seek safety. Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called areas in the south "safe zones" earlier this week, Israeli military spokesman Nir Dinar said Friday: "There are no safe zones."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.