Pro-Palestine demonstrators held a rally in Turkey outside the US Consulate General in Istanbul to show solidarity with Gazans besieged under Israeli bombardment.

The number of Palestinians martyred since the beginning of the aggression has risen to 21,978 martyrs, at least 9,000 of whom are children, in addition to 57,697 Palestinians injured.

The protesters marched toward the US Consulate on Sunday after Islamic NGOs called for a New Year's Eve protest march to denounce "Israel's" bombardment of Gaza since October 7.

Protesters held banners decrying the US complicity in Israeli crimes, with some reading: “Patron of the Zionist gang USA, get out of the Middle East.”

Some demonstrators chanted, "Murderer America, get out of the Middle East," and: "Commerce with baby killers is not trade, it's murder."

🚨Istanbul, Turkey.

In the Turkish city of Istanbul, hundreds of thousands came out today to support Gaza and Palestine. pic.twitter.com/UPsnPQDAG0

— Palestine Now (@PalestineNW) January 1, 2024

Other demonstrators pledged their allegiance to Gaza until death.

One demonstrator blamed the escalating bloodshed on US foreign policy and Washington's unwavering backing for "Israel's" leadership in "Tel Aviv".

Dr. Mehmet Arslan, a protester, was quoted as saying, "The real devil is America."

Mehmet Yaroglu, the Istanbul Provincial Chairman of the Anadolu Youth Association (AGD), issued a press statement in which he stated that the US is the occupying Israeli regime's benefactor and collaborator.

“We hereby declare that we are on the same side with them, that we are members of the same body. Our heart, body and soul are with them.”

This morning Istanbul stood for the people of Gaza.🇹🇷#ForFairFuture #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/1qmHrt28YX

— 𝓐𝓱𝓶𝓮𝓽 𝓣𝓮𝓴𝓭𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓻🇹🇷 (@AHMETTEKDEMR) January 1, 2024

Number of martyrs largest since Nakba

Yesterday, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that the number of martyrs this year is the largest in Palestine since the Nakba in 1948.

Meanwhile, James Elder, the Director of UNICEF, stated that over 1,000 children in Gaza underwent amputations of one or both legs as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Relief workers from around the world, who visited the Gaza Strip, highlighted the profound human tragedy faced by over 2.3 million Palestinians who are struggling to fulfill fundamental requirements for survival.

Due to the Israeli airstrikes on #Gaza, thousands of Palestinian children have had to undergo amputation surgeries; hundreds were reported to have had these surgeries without anesthesia amid the brutal Israeli siege on the Strip.

Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to accommodate… pic.twitter.com/cFLWyZIMbJ

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 30, 2023

On the 87th day of the war on Gaza, the occupation intensified its raids on many areas of the Gaza Strip, especially Khan Younis in the south and Jabalia al-Balad in the north, in addition to the neighborhoods of Gaza City, including al-Daraj, al-Tuffah, and Qizan Rashwan, as well as the central areas, including the Nuseirat camp and the vicinity of Abu Daoud Mosque. Several Palestinians were killed in these strikes.

A few days ago, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the unfolding catastrophe, and its medical coordinator, Guillemette Thomas, said there are no longer words to describe the horror that Gaza is experiencing today.

#Gaza is grappling with a health emergency exacerbated by cold weather, overcrowded shelters, scarce food, and contaminated water which has resulted in a surge of infectious diseases. The dire situation has overwhelmed hospitals, leaving the sick with limited treatment options.… pic.twitter.com/JY8O5Unwuo

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 14, 2023