Demonstrators gathered in London, New York and other cities on Wednesday to call for an end to Israeli strikes, while Israelis held memorials for victims of the 2023 attack.
Global protests demand ceasefire in Gaza as demonstrators in cities around the world marked the third anniversary of the attack on Israel by Hamas on Wednesday. According to Al Jazeera, protesters called for an end to Israeli attacks on Gaza and the West Bank. Israelis marked the same day with memorials for the roughly 1,200 people killed in 2023, CNN reported.
Global Protests Demand Ceasefire in Gaza Across Several Cities
Al Jazeera reported that demonstrators took to the streets in many countries and used the October 7 anniversary to press for a ceasefire. In New York, hundreds of people marched through Lower Manhattan near City Hall carrying Palestinian flags. The outlet said smaller groups of counter protesters supporting Israel also gathered in the area. Israel Hayom reported that protesters confronted Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a vigil he attended in Union Square.
The Detroit News reported that dozens of students in Ann Arbor, Michigan, marched to demand that the University of Michigan divest from Israel.
London Student March Goes Ahead Under Police Conditions
The Metropolitan Police said it imposed conditions on a student march in central London organized by a group calling itself the University of London Coalition. The route ran from King’s College London toward University College London. Jewish News reported that police set a fixed route, required the rally to end by 2pm and barred face coverings that conceal identity. The Met said it cannot ban protests and had asked organizers to choose another date because of the distress the timing could cause Jewish communities.
NBC News reported that counter protesters supporting Israel confronted the marchers. Al Jazeera reported that the Met said five people were arrested outside the Board of Deputies of British Jews in north London on suspicion of inciting racial hatred through chants calling for Intifada.
Paris police banned demonstrations in the French capital on October 7 at the request of the interior minister.
Is the Gaza Ceasefire Still Holding?
A ceasefire brokered by the United States took effect in October 2025. AFP, in a report carried by RTE, said the deal halted major fighting but has not stopped Israeli attacks in Gaza or led to the disarmament of Hamas. According to the same report, Palestinian officials said Israeli strikes killed three people on Wednesday. AFP also reported, citing health authorities, that more than 1,400 people have been killed in Gaza since the truce began.
AFP said Israel will not pull back until Hamas fully disarms, while Hamas says it has accepted a phased process but will not disarm while Israeli attacks continue. CNN reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting Israel had killed 4,000 of the 6,000 militants who entered Israel in 2023, and said, “We will reach all of them.”
Calls for a Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza
The Qatar News Agency reported that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a statement on Monday urging a permanent ceasefire and humanitarian aid delivered at scale. “It is time for the ceasefire to become permanent,” he said, according to the agency. QNA said he noted that about 2.1 million people in Gaza have been displaced and asked all parties to move to the next phase of the plan under Security Council Resolution 2803. He said the ceasefire eased some suffering but has not delivered security or a credible path to recovery.
Israel Marks the Day With Memorials and Protests
CNN reported that Israel held ceremonies, memorials and protests at more than 400 locations. The Times of Israel reported that anti government protesters briefly blocked a major highway in central Israel for a moment of silence, and that a national ceremony took place at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, hosted by former hostage Eli Sharabi. The outlet also reported that opposition leaders visited sites of the attack in southern Israel.
