KARACHI, Jan 12: Thousands of women supporters of a religious party marched through the city on Monday to protest against Israeli action in Gaza and to criticise the United States for its support to Israel.

The women, many with their children, carried placards that read “Boycott America and Israel” and many wore headbands calling for jihad against Israel, which they called “the biggest threat to the world peace”.

The protesters also burned an Israeli flag.

“It is painful that Israel continued its attacks on Gaza despite the UN Security Council’s 14 member countries adopted the resolution calling for a stop to these attacks,” Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, a leader of the Jamaat-i-Islami, which organised the rally, told the crowd.

“Israel is only doing this because it is supported by US President Bush,” he said.

Senior police official Javed Riaz estimated the number of protesters at about 5,000, making it one of the biggest anti-Israel rallies in Pakistan since the Israeli offensive in Gaza began.

Meanwhile, the Pasban Pakistan, a rights organisation, has given a country-wide strike call for Friday to protest against the Israeli brutalities.

In a press release issued on Monday, the rights group appealed to people from all walks of life to join hands and raise voice against the killings of innocent Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the Karachi University Teachers Society condemned Israeli attacks on innocent Palestinians and announced that teachers would stage a protest against the Israeli attacks on Thursday.

—Agencies