A Palestinian boy flashes the victory sign during a protest in Nablus city in the occupied West Bank on October 17, 2023. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
Spontaneous protests have emerged in a number of major cities across the Middle East and North Africa as well as elsewhere, some devolving into confrontations with local security forces.
In the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, Palestinians angrily denounced Israel for the hospital attack and then turned their ire to the PA itself, before security forces turned on the protesters.
In the Lebanese capital Beirut, protesters gathered outside the US Embassy in the city, before some attempted to break through the security barriers that surround the site. Security forces fired tear gas and water cannons in an effort to break up the protest.
In Amman, where Jordan had been planning to host a summit with Biden, el-Sisi and Abbas on Wednesday before it was cancelled, protesters also gathered outside the Israeli Embassy compound, with some breaching one of the security barriers before being dispersed.
Hundreds gathered outside the French embassy in Tunis, chanting anti-French and anti-US slogans.
Egyptian opposition parties led protests in front of the US Embassy in Cairo, while others took place in neighbouring Giza.
Palestinian flags were seen during a protest in Libya's capital Tripoli.
And in Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest city, protesters gathered outside the Israeli consulate before police dispersed the crowd.
