LAHORE: Students and teachers held a demonstration on Thursday to protest Israel’s assault on Gaza and to express solidarity with the Palestinians.

The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) organised a rally and condemned the terrorism and war crimes committed against the Palestinians by Israel.

UVAS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nasim Ahmed led the rally on the city campus of the university, joined by the deans, directors, faculty and administrative staff. The rally began at the VC’s office and ended in front of the administration block after a round of the campus. The participants chanted slogans against Israel and waved Palestinian flags and banners to demonstrate their support for the Palestinian cause.

Prof Ahmed called on Israel to vacate the illegally occupied territory and urged the Islamic countries to use their influence to prevent the killing of innocent Palestinians, seeking a lasting resolution to the issue. He praised the bravery of the Palestinians in the face of Israeli airstrikes and missile attacks on hospitals, schools and residences, expressing hope that their sacrifices would eventually lead to the liberation of Palestinian land from Israeli occupation.

At Government College University (GCU), students, faculty, and administration passionately voiced their support for the people of Palestine and condemned the atrocities being committed against them.

GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi expressed his deep concerns at the situation in Gaza and condemned indiscriminate bombing that recently targeted innocent refugees, volunteers, and paramedical staff at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, describing the attacks as clear violations of human rights requiring immediate international intervention.

To raise global awareness and show support to Palestine, the GCU announced a daily protest walk at the university at 11am.

Meanwhile, the Haqooq-i-Khalq Party organised a solidarity protest at Liberty Roundabout on Thursday to condemn the ongoing atrocities committed by Israel against the people of Gaza.

The protest was a collective expression of outrage against the recent bombing of Al-Ahrar hospital in Gaza, which tragically resulted in the loss of five hundred innocent civilian lives.

The participants said that every form of resistance against Israeli apartheid is a legitimate response to the oppression and violence faced by Palestinians daily. They said that a lasting peace in Gaza and Palestine cannot be achieved without Israel putting an end to its settler colonial expansion and reverting to the borders as they stood before 1967.

They said the bombing of the hospital, a clear violation of international humanitarian law, is a heartbreaking reminder of the disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force by Israel in the region. It underscores the urgent need for the international community to act swiftly and decisively to protect the rights and lives of Palestinians and put an end to the cycle of violence and suffering.

They called upon progressive forces around the world to unite against Israel’s genocidal policies, which have caused immeasurable suffering and devastation in Palestine and Gaza.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2023