Crowds were participating in pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests and memorial events across Europe, North Africa and Asia on Sunday on the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.

Sunday91裸聊视频檚 events followed massive rallies that took place Saturday in several European cities, including London, Berlin, Paris and Rome. Other events are scheduled through the week, with an expected peak on Monday, the date of the anniversary.

At a march in Berlin, near the Brandenburg Gate, hundreds of pro-Israeli demonstrators set off up the famed Unter den Linden behind a banner that read 91裸聊视频淎gainst all antisemitism,91裸聊视频� accompanied by a police escort.

With many Israeli flags waving over head, some Jewish leaders led a song about 91裸聊视频渟halom91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� peace 91裸聊视频� while marchers chanted 91裸聊视频淔ree Gaza from Hamas!91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淏ring them home,91裸聊视频� referring to hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.

Thousands gathered in Paris for a Jewish memorial event featuring speakers and artists paying tribute to those killed in the Oct. 7 attack and stand with those still in captivity.

Ayelet Samerano, mother of Jonathan Samerano, who died after he was shot and kidnapped on Oct. 7 at the Supernova festival, said 91裸聊视频渨e are a united people. Together we are strong 91裸聊视频� no enemy will bring us down. With this unity and strength, we will bring our loved ones home.91裸聊视频�

In London, thousands gathered in Hyde Park in a similar memorial event. The crowds chanted 91裸聊视频淏ring them home91裸聊视频� and waved Israeli flags and placards with the faces of hostages still held by Hamas.

Around a thousand people gathered in Brazil91裸聊视频檚 capital Brasilia for a pro-Israel demonstration, responding to a joint call from Israeli ambassador Daniel Zohar Zonshine and the Council of Evangelical Pastors in Brazil91裸聊视频檚 Federal District.

Demonstrators in cars and motorbikes gathered at Television Tower in central Brasilia and then headed to the Ministries Esplanade, where they prayed for the victims of Oct. 7.

Meanwhile, people took to the streets from Pakistan to Morocco in massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

In Morocco91裸聊视频檚 capital, Rabat, thousands marched by the parliament and called on the government to revoke its 2020 agreement formalizing the country91裸聊视频檚 ties with Israel.

Abdelilah Miftah, from Casablanca, said Palestinians and Lebanese were now facing 91裸聊视频淚sraeli arrogance.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚srael is not respecting any laws and is waging an aggressive war against them,91裸聊视频� Miftah said.

The protest in Rabat was among the largest in months. Morocco91裸聊视频檚 government has spoken out against the war in Gaza but retained its ties with Israel.

In the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, a massive pro-Palestinian rally was organized by the country91裸聊视频檚 largest religious political party, Jamaat-e-Islami. Its chief, Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, said the protest 91裸聊视频渋s to wake up the world. 91裸聊视频� This protest is to tell the U.S. that it is supporting terrorists.91裸聊视频�

Earlier on Sunday in Australia, thousands of people rallied in support of Palestinians and Lebanon. A pro-Israeli rally also took place in Melbourne.

Samantha Gazal said she came to the rally in Sydney 91裸聊视频渂ecause I can91裸聊视频檛 believe our government is giving impunity to a violent extremist nation and has done nothing. 91裸聊视频� We91裸聊视频檙e watching the violence play out on livestream, and they91裸聊视频檙e doing nothing.91裸聊视频�

In Melbourne, supporters of Israel held up posters showing Israeli hostages who are still missing.

91裸聊视频淲e feel like we didn91裸聊视频檛 do anything to deserve this,91裸聊视频� said Jeremy Wenstein, one of the participants. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e just supporting our brothers and sisters who are fighting a war that they didn91裸聊视频檛 invite.91裸聊视频�

Security forces in several countries warned of heightened levels of alert in major cities, amid concerns that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could inspire new terror attacks in Europe or that some of the protests could turn violent.

France91裸聊视频檚 interior minister was to hold a special security meeting on Sunday evening to assess the 91裸聊视频渢error threat,91裸聊视频� his office said.

On Sunday, Italy91裸聊视频檚 Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her 91裸聊视频渇ull solidarity91裸聊视频� with police, the day after after security forces used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent demonstrators in Rome.

Meloni firmly condemned clashes between a few pro-Palestinian demonstrators and law enforcement officers, saying it was 91裸聊视频渋ntolerable that dozens of officers are injured during a demonstration.91裸聊视频�

Thirty police officers and four protesters were hurt in clashes at the pro-Palestinian march in Rome Saturday, local media said. In Rome91裸聊视频檚 central Piazzale Ostiense, hooded protesters threw stones, bottles and even a street sign at the police, who responded using water cannons and tear gas.

Pope Francis, celebrating his Sunday Angelus prayer from the Vatican, issued a new appeal for peace 91裸聊视频渙n every front.91裸聊视频� Francis also urged his audience not to forget the many hostages still held in Gaza, asking for 91裸聊视频渢heir immediate liberation.91裸聊视频�

The pope called for a day of prayer and fasting on Monday, the first anniversary of the attack.

Risk of a regional escalation

On Oct. 7 last year, Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis, taking 250 people hostage and setting off a war with Israel that has shattered much of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since then in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between fighters and civilians. It says more than half were women and children.

Nearly 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than 70 believed to be alive. Israelis have experienced attacks 91裸聊视频� missiles from Iran and Hezbollah, explosive drones from Yemen, fatal shootings and stabbings 91裸聊视频� as the region braces for further escalation.

In late September, Israel shifted some of its focus to Hezbollah, which holds much of the power in parts of southern Lebanon and some other areas of the country, attacking the militants with exploding pagers, airstrikes and, eventually, incursions into Lebanon.