Iraqis protest at border and near US embassy calling for an end to Gaza blockade, chanting ‘no to Israel’

A significant gathering took place at the primary border crossing between Iraq and Jordan on a recent Friday. The crowd was composed of supporters of the Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups, expressing their solidarity with Gaza and demanding an end to the Israeli-imposed blockade. Approximately 800 supporters of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a predominantly Shiite militia group, had journeyed from Baghdad the previous night. The border crossing they congregated at is the nearest access point from Iraq to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Amidst heightened security, the protesters established a sit-in, setting up tents and demanding that Israel permit aid into Gaza. They voiced their opposition to Israel and normalisation, waving Palestinian flags in unison. In Baghdad, additional PMF supporters assembled near a bridge leading to the fortified Green Zone, which houses the US embassy and other diplomatic missions. They displayed banners and flags near the Green Zone's entrance. Some protesters, dressed in black, carried portraits of prominent Shiite Muslim leaders, waving both Palestinian and Iraqi flags. Israel has pledged to eradicate the Hamas Islamist group that governs Gaza, following a violent rampage by Hamas gunmen through Israeli towns, resulting in the death of 1,400 people. Israel has subjected Gaza to air strikes and imposed a total siege on its 2. 3 million inhabitants. According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least 4,137 Palestinians have lost their lives. Hussein Samir, a 26-year-old protester, expressed their intent to support the people of Palestine. He warned that if the blockade is not lifted, resistance and war against Israel would ensue. Muqtada al-Sadr, a prominent Iraqi cleric, has urged a peaceful sit-in at the Palestinian borders in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan until Israel lifts the blockade and aid reaches the people of Gaza. He advised protesters to carry only shrouds, not weapons.