Madrid's Nakba Day protests criticize Israel for attack on Gaza

Around a thousand people took to the streets of Madrid on Thursday to express their horror at events in Gaza. 

Gazan health authorities say Israeli military operations have killed more than 50,000 people in the enclave, including some 25,000 children.

Similar activities have been organized around the world to mark the 77th anniversary of 'Nakba Day'.

What is Nakba Day? 

On May 15, 1948, the British Mandate over Palestine expired, meaning its troops left the area. The previous day, the declaration of the establishment of the state of Israel had been proclaimed. 

In the ensuing fighting, more than 700,000 Palestinian Arabs were either expelled or voluntarily fled from their homes.

Literally meaning 'catastrophe' in Arabic, the Nakba refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. It is marked every May 15 by Palestinians, Arabs and others worldwide. 

This year the protests center on the continued Israeli occupation and military operation in Gaza, a response to the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

Protesters in Madrid say a new Nakba is now happening in Gaza. 

"What we are seeing right now is the displacement of millions of people in Gaza and now in the West Bank," says Ibrahim Zaitouni Al-Yudur, part of Palestine Youths.

"There is no end and there is no beginning for the Nakba we suffered in 1948 and the Nakba we are suffering right now. What we are seeing right now is the displacement and the extermination of millions of people in Gaza and now in the West Bank."

'Normal Israeli people are not in favor of genocide' 

Another protester called Emad, who didn't want to reveal his surname, said: "Israeli people normally are not in favor of genocide, because they are also religious people and in all religions it is forbidden to kill somebody."

The protests in Madrid come a day after Israeli attacks killed at least 50 people, including 22 children, according to Gaza health officials.

The attacks signal an escalation of violence with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to "conquer" Gaza if Hamas does not release the 58 hostages it is still holding, among other concessions.

Israel has refused to allow food or medicine to enter Gaza since March, saying Hamas was stealing aid – an accusation Hamas denies. The suspension has been condemned by UN, European and Middle Eastern leaders. 

Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, said the humanitarian situation in Gaza was "ever more dramatic and unjustifiable." On Wednesday, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called Israel a "genocidal state" – drawing an angry response when the Israeli government summoned the Spanish ambassador to demand an explanation.

Protests similar to the ones in Madrid have been planned in cities worldwide, many calling for Israeli boycotts, an end to diplomatic ties and demands for an arms embargo on Israel.

The Spanish socialist government formally recognized the state of Palestine in May 2024, but Spain continues to sell weapons to Israel.

With U.S. President Donald Trump in the Middle East, Hamas released the last living U.S. hostage on Tuesday. Talks are ongoing between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff – the man tasked by Trump with ending the war in Gaza – and Netanyahu.

Witkoff has said Trump had "a productive conversation" with Qatar's emir about a ceasefire deal in Gaza, adding "we are moving along and we have a good plan together."

That isn't enough according to protesters in Madrid, who say the bombings and killings have to stop and humanitarian assistance must be allowed to enter the besieged territories.