Speakers condemned the destruction, starvation, and violence inflicted on Palestinians, calling for international action
NEW DELHI – Hundreds of students, activists, academics, and concerned citizens gathered at the iconic Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Tuesday in a powerful show of solidarity with the people of Gaza, who are suffering due to Israel’s continued aggression.
The protest, titled “Delhi Rises for Palestine: Gaza Under Siege, Humanity Under Trial,” was organised by Friends of Palestine, drawing large-scale participation from across the capital city.
With chants of “Resist Occupation, Resist Genocide” and placards reading “Stop Bombing Gaza,” “End the Blockade,” and “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere,” demonstrators condemned the ongoing genocide in Gaza and Israel’s use of hunger as a weapon of war.
The protest was one of many nationwide events demanding an end to Israel’s aggression in Gaza. Speakers from student organisations, civil society, and academia highlighted the scale of destruction, starvation, and systemic violence unleashed on the hapless Palestinians. They called on the Indian government and international community to break their deafening silence on the issue and support the weak and the oppressed.I
n his address, Abdul Hafeez, National President of the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), said the siege on Gaza is not just a war — it is a crime against humanity. “As bombs fall and children starve, the world watches in silence. We call upon India to uphold its moral responsibility and demand an immediate end to Israel’s aggression. This is not just about Palestine, it’s about the soul of humanity,” Abdul Hafeez said.
Nitish Kumar, President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), said what is being witnessed in Gaza is not a conflict — it is apartheid and genocide. “And our solidarity cannot be conditional. Students and youth in India stand firmly with the Palestinian people’s struggle for justice and freedom,” he added.
Saleem Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind warned against normalising state-sponsored violence. “The silence of democratic nations on the genocide in Gaza is terrifying. It is a test of our moral and political integrity. Standing with Palestine is standing with the truth,” he said.
Prof Nandita Narain, a prominent academic and activist, stated, “This is a humanitarian emergency. The collective punishment of an entire population is a war crime. The Indian government must stop enabling this genocide through silence and passive diplomacy.”
SQR Ilyas, General Secretary of the Welfare Party of India, said history will remember not just the crimes of the aggressors but the silence of the so-called civilised world. “We urge the Indian government to break diplomatic ties with Israel until the siege ends,” he said.
The protesters raised three key demands:
1. Immediate ceasefire and end to all military assaults on Gaza;
2. Lifting of the illegal blockade and opening of safe corridors for humanitarian aid, and
3. Global accountability for the ongoing war crimes and a call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against the apartheid regime of Israel.
The organisers reaffirmed that this was not a one-time protest but part of a continuous resistance movement across campuses and civil society spaces in the country.
