Middle East/North Africa

Muslims protest at US Embassy in Indonesia over Israel airstrikes

Over one thousand Muslims protested at the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia on Friday demanding an end to Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza strip.

According to The Associated Press, the demonstration was organized by the Islamic Student Association and several other groups.

The demonstrators marched from several mosques after Friday prayers to a major street outside the embassy. The protesters chanted “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is Great,” and “Save Palestinians,” according to AP.

Over 3,000 police were deployed to secure the embassy, as well as the presidential palace and the United Nations mission.

The news service, citing local media reports, noted that similar demonstrations were held in at least 10 provincial capitals and cities across the nation.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Thursday that 232 Palestinians had been killed amidst the 11 days of rocket fire and missile strikes between Israel and Hamas. Only a dozen Israelis were killed.

The strikes were the worst since 2014. Hamas launched thousands of rockets into Israel after Israeli police violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest site in Islam. Israel returned fire via airstrikes that devastated Gaza City.

The Israeli Security Council Cabinet agreed to a cease-fire on Thursday, which was scheduled to take effect at 2 a.m. local time on Friday, 7 p.m. Thursday ET.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday warned that if Hamas launched any more rockets following the cease-fire, he would respond with “a new level of force against any expression of aggression against communities around Gaza and any other part of Israel,” AP reported.