Millions across the world march for Gaza as Rafah ground invasion looms

Millions of people around the world, in many cases under pouring rain, marched in support of Gaza on Saturday as Israel's deadline for an invasion of the enclave's southern city of Rafah approaches.

In what organisers called a Global Day of Action, specifically "Hands Off Rafah" for this weekend's demonstrations, protesters from diverse backgrounds took to the streets of hundreds of cities - from Seattle to Seoul.

As the crowd swelled in downtown San Francisco, with drums beating and flags waving, an elderly Palestinian man with his family approached the demonstration holding a sign reading: I'm 96. It's been 148 days + 75 years: ENOUGH! 

"I'm joining the demonstration asking for justice and peace. We've suffered enough," Ahmad Ayish, originally from El Bireh in the West Bank, told The New Arab, as the march began toward the Israeli Consulate. 

"The United States is part of the problem. This demonstration is telling the US they are part of the problem. It's important to let the American people know what's going on," he said.

"I want to see peace and justice for the Arabs and the Jews," he said before he began marching through the rain, along with an estimated 15,000 people.

He was joined by protesters from a diversity of backgrounds, many holding signs indicating their identity and support. Some held signs reading: "Jews say: Not in Our Name!" while others held signs reading: "Labor for Palestine".

In addition to English, many of the signs and chants were in Arabic and Spanish. In recognition of what appears to be an impending invasion, many held signs reading: "Hands Off Rafah!"

"There's a lot of anxiety and pressure to do everything we can in the diaspora," Rami Abdelkarim, an organiser with the Palestinian Youth Movement in the San Francisco Bay Area, told TNA following Saturday's demonstration.

"The people were feeling motivated to take to the streets at such an important moment," he said.

As Israel's continuous bombing of Gaza enters its sixth month, the conflict is seeing several grim milestones, including the deaths of at least 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza and 70,000 wounded.

In addition, the health ministry has started reporting cases of death from malnutrition and dehydration. 

Recent news of a massacre in Gaza City of around 100 hungry Palestinians in line for food aid has caused public outrage around the world.

Meanwhile, Rafah, where Israel has been telling Palestinians to evacuate, could see an invasion within a week.

"If you look at what they said when they started, they were telling people to move to the south, saying they'll be safe," Saul Kanowitz, an organiser with the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), a protest umbrella group, told TNA.

He believes there has been a major shift in people supporting Palestinian human rights, which he sees as coming at a crucial time as Israel's far-right government continues its airstrikes on Gaza.

"The sea change in attitude and consciousness is the most important shift I've seen," he said. "The mass demonstrations are really important because they show the sentiment of people. For someone who comes out for the first time, it's a big deal."