NYC students to rally, walk out of class in protest of Israel-Hamas war
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Pro-Palestinian groups will take to the streets of New York City again on Wednesday after a large demonstration on Tuesday night.
Wednesday's March for Gaza will kick off at 4 p.m. at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
On Tuesday night, there was a march from Manhattan to Brooklyn exactly one month after Hamas' attacks on Israel.
The 'Flood NYC Election Day for Gaza!' rally started at City Hall around 3 p.m., calling to action to mobilize against elected officials.
Thousands of demonstrators then began marching from City Hall and across the Manhattan Bridge to Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.
While the protest remained peaceful, the demonstration disrupted traffic during the evening rush.
Meanwhile, another pro-Palestinian demonstration was expected to take place in Union Square.
Earlier in the evening, beneath the billowing flags of Palestine, there were world of opinions. Some demanded an end to the State of Israel, but others called for a cease-fire and a peaceful settlement for both sides.
"I want a peaceful settlement for all," demonstrator Broadies Byas said. "But it's not going to happen, not if everybody stays in their house eating popcorn and saying, 'It's not me.'"
"As an American Jew who is proud of their heritage, I say 'never again' means never again for anyone," demonstrator Annabel Asher said.
It all comes as the Israeli army pushes deeper and deeper into Gaza. The IDF claims to have destroyed 450 Hamas targets in the past 24 hours, alone.
According to the Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry, the death toll in Gaza now tops 10,000, including some 4,000 children. Many thousands more have been injured.
A little girl was among the survivors, traumatized and covered in dirt.
In an exclusive ABC News interview, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said civilian casualties are tragic, but inevitable.
"There is no way to defeat terrorists embedded in a civilian population without going in, in as targeted a way as you can, against the terrorists," he said. "But there will be, unfortunately, these civilian casualties."
It was exactly one month ago that Hamas militants stormed into Southern Israel and slaughtered an estimated 1,400 people, including large numbers of women and children. There were ceremonies Tuesday throughout the nation to mourn the dead and to pray for the others held captive.
"There isn't any word that can describe the atmosphere, the very, very deep sorrow," one Israeli mourner said.
"I, personally, was absolutely appalled by what Hamas did," demonstrator Zulfiqar Ahmad said.
Ahmad came to Lower Manhattan because he's seen enough.
"What happened existed within a context," he said. "And that context, fundamentally, is about the occupation."
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