As Israel, backed by the United States, continues to ignore every international law on 鈥渨ar鈥 鈥 even on the Lebanon/Israel border 鈥 protests demanding Israel be sanctioned and for a permanent ceasefire continue across the world.
More than , including 127 children, with at least 10,524 people injured, according to Al Jazeera. More than a million have been displaced from their homes.
Wafa news agency reported on October 14 that Israel bombed tents housing displaced Palestinians inside the grounds of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza: 22 people were confirmed dead. At least 300 people have been killed in Israel鈥檚 new military siege of northern Gaza, and tens of thousands are trapped by the ground invasion and drone strikes.
Democratic Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris has doubled down on support for Israel鈥檚 鈥渞ight to defend itself鈥. While claiming she and US President Joe Biden support a ceasefire, the US continues to provide essential political and military support, without which .
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin endorsed Israel鈥檚 ground invasion of Lebanon in early October and has committed troops to operate a US-provided for Israel to use in its surface-to-air missile systems to attack Iran. Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said the THAAD deployment 鈥渦nderscores the United States鈥 ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel鈥.
Nearly 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries are stationed in Lebanon, alongside about 800 civilian staff. They patrol the area between the Litani River and the UN-recognised boundary between Lebanon and Israel known as the 鈥淏lue Line鈥.
Lebanese environment minister told the ABC on September 30 that world leaders are 鈥渘ot acting as they should be to stop the war鈥.
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Thousands in Magan-djin/Brisbane on October 13, marking 12 months of Israel鈥檚 genocide in Gaza, reports Alex Bainbridge.
Rally chairperson Remah Naji opened the protest saying that the past year has 鈥渞evealed so much; it鈥檚 exposed the complicity of the ruling class and the mainstream media鈥.
She said that while the year has been marked by 鈥渂etrayal and shame鈥 by those who are silent or complicit in the genocide, it has also been a year of 鈥渟olidarity, resistance and hope鈥.
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Twenty people representing a wide range of organisations and communities gave two-minute speeches. Wangerriburra and Birri Gubba activist Sam Watson paid tribute to the thousands of people who have rallied time and again, building hope and solidarity.
Mira from Doykiet Magan-djin spoke on behalf of the 鈥渕any anti-Zionist Jews in so-called Australia and around the world who stand in solidarity with Palestine鈥.
鈥淥ver the past year, we've been horrified and disgusted as Israel has bombed hospitals, schools and refugee camps and has claimed to be doing this in our name.鈥
Protesters , marching to the ABC聽in Southbank to protest its complicity in the genocide.
Two days earlier, more than 60 people participated in a near the Royal Brisbane and Women鈥檚 Hospital. Participants signed a large banner, reading 鈥淔ree Gaza Medics鈥, which was carried in the October 13 rally.
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Justice for Palestine Magan-djin is organising another rally on October 25 and has plans for a big rally on November 29, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Other ways people have been shown solidarity with Palestine include the Big Ride for Palestine, which featured two events over October 12鈥13, with a ride coming up on October 20.聽
An exhibition, which opened on October 10, showing more than 150 photos from 16 photographers documenting the past year, was organised by Justice for Palestine Magan-djin and Magandjin Creatives for Palestine.
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Alex Salmon reports that hundreds protested in Boorloo/Perth on October 12 to mark 12 months of Israel鈥檚 genocide.聽The Friends of Palestine WA-organised聽protest heard from various speakers, including Janet Parker from Jews for Palestine, who condemned Labor鈥檚 continued Islamophobia and hypocrisy.
Parker criticised politicians and the corporate media鈥檚聽attacks on protesters calling for peace and justice for Palestinians and Lebanese people.
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A spirited rally in Djilang/Geelong on October 12 condemned the war on Gaza and the invasion of Lebanon, reports Sue Bull.
Protesters marched by defence minister Richard Marles鈥 two offices, demanding he push harder for a ceasefire, rather than investing in more weapons for war.
The protest heard from a number of people, including First Nations activist Julie Saylor Briggs, climate activists Violet Coco and Brad Homewood and Mohamed El-Masri, a volunteer and representative聽from .
El Masri said the Muslim community have been organising to have a united voice in Australian politics and that Israel鈥檚 unjust war on Palestinians has helped galvanise them into action.
Several thousand people joined the protest at Hyde Park in Gadigal Country/Sydney for the 53rd consecutive week, reports Olivia Carney. Impassioned speakers condemned NSW Labor's attempts to ban the pro-Palestine protests and the recent arrests of two students at the University of Western Sydney (WSU).
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Josh Lees, from the Palestinian Action Group, said Labor seems more concerned about preventing the democratic right to protest than to take action against the Zionist regime.
NSW Greens Senator David Shoebridge called out 鈥渢he war parties鈥 鈥 referring to Labor and the Coalition which, he said, are almost indistinguishable.
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Thousands marched for Palestine in Naarm/Melbourne on October 13, reports Jacob Andrewartha. Speakers emphasised the need to keep protesting for Palestine in light of Israel鈥檚 escalation into Lebanon and the one year anniversary of Israel鈥檚 latest genocide.
鈥淲e can't give up on Palestine鈥, Lebanese activist Afaf Alfawwal said, adding, 鈥淧alestinians and Lebanese people have shown continuous resilience鈥 and 鈥渢here is no end to this resistance鈥.
Other speakers included Dr Samanthi J Gunawardana, an academic at Monash University; Judy Mcvey, from the Community and Public Sector Union for Palestine; and Ola Addasi, from the Palestine Community Association of Victoria.
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Students at the Western Sydney University (WSU) were arrested by NSW Police on October 9 for protesting the university鈥檚 ties with Israel, reports Isaac Nellist.聽
Students rallied at the Parramatta campus after a freedom of information request revealed that WSU has investments in companies with links to Israel, including LeonardoSpA, Aero Vlronment, Rolls-Royce, Chevron, Siemens and many others.聽
WSU also has partnerships with Thales, BAE Systems, Raytheon and the University of Tel Aviv.
According to WSU4Palestine, 鈥渁 riot squad stormed the building 鈥 then proceeded to brutally arrest and drag two students out of the building鈥. It said one student 鈥渉ad his head slammed into the wall by four male police officers approximately five times鈥. The other was 鈥渟lammed onto the floor鈥 and arrested.聽
Videos of the arrests were published on the .聽Both students were released on bail that night and had to go to hospital.聽聽Days later, students and staff held a protest against police brutality and racism. It was supported by Teachers for Palestine NSW and Unionists for Palestine.聽It was reported at the rally that a third student had been arrested that morning.
Meanwhile, at the University of Melbourne (UniMelb), police were called by management to break up a sit-in launched by UniMelb for Palestine student activists at the office of Steven Prawer, head of partnerships with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Students are demanding UniMelb cut ties with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and cancel the Jerusalem-Melbourne Joint PhD program.
UniMelb management also threatened to defund the University of Melbourne Student Union over a motion to send about $19,000 to support fundraising efforts in the village of Ni鈥檒in in the Occupied West Bank.
The motion also included holding a forum with representatives of the Ni鈥檒in Popular Committee.
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