Ramallah, Palestinian Territories- AFP- Thousands of angry Palestinians rallied across the West Bank on Friday, urging Hamas militants to “bomb Tel Aviv” as Israel pursued a relentless air campaign on the Gaza Strip.
More than 1,000 protesters gathered in central Ramallah, shouting slogans of support for Gaza’s Hamas rulers and waving the Islamist movement’s green flag, AFP correspondents said.
“Hamas, bomb Tel Aviv!” they chanted a day after a rocket from Gaza struck the sea just by sprawling coastal city, with a second landing on Friday in an attack claimed by militants from the ruling Islamist movement.
Protesters also held up huge pictures of top Hamas military chief Ahmed Jaabari, whose death in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City on Wednesday sparked the latest bloody escalation.
Similar scenes took place in the northern city of Nablus, where more than 3,000 people called on Hamas militants to “Bomb Tel Aviv,” another correspondent said.
Hamas flags were everywhere and angry demonstrators burned an Israeli flag, chanting “Death to Israel,” he said.
Another 800 people marched with Palestinian and Hamas flags through the northern city of Jenin shouting slogans of support for Gaza and calling for an end to Israel’s attack on the coastal territory.
They marched towards the Jalame checkpoint where clashes broke out, with youths burning tyres and throwing stones, an AFP correspondent said.
Several hundred people also demonstrated in the southern city of Hebron, waving flags and shouting their support for Hamas.
In annexed east Jerusalem, 200 protesters gathered at the Damascus Gate by the Old City where five people were arrested for “disturbing public order,” police and an AFP correspondent said.
Stone-throwing clashes also broke out in Ras al-Amud near the Mount of Olives, an AFP correspondent said.
Since Wednesday’s strike, Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks on targets in Gaza. On Friday morning, two more Palestinians, including a child, were killed. That raised the overall toll to 20, with more than 240 injured, medics said.
In the same period, militants have fired around 300 rockets over the border, killing three Israelis.
