Crowd shows support for Palestine in Minneapolis as Gaza endures blockade

A large crowd of people turned out in Minneapolis on Monday evening for a rally in support of the Palestinian people.

The show of solidarity comes amid a three-day Israeli bombing offensive on Gaza in retaliation for a deadly Hamas incursion into Israel over the weekend. Officials on each side estimate the conflict has killed around 900 people in Israel and more than 680 in Gaza.

Demonstrators holding signs and waving Palestinian flags outside Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s downtown office called for Palestinian liberation and protested the U.S. sending aid to Israel. Klobuchar had affirmed her support for Israel on Saturday after the initial attacks by Hamas: “I unequivocally condemn these Hamas terrorist attacks. The United States stands with Israel.”

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Speakers also extended their sympathies for Palestinians in Gaza who now face a total blockade. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday ordered a “complete siege” of the territory, cutting off food, electricity, water and other critical supplies from more than 2 million people.

“The reality is that they are living in an open-air prison,” said Nesma Abu Ammo of her relatives living in Gaza. “They do not share the same luxury of fleeing as the Israelis. There is no shelter, no place to flee.”

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates more than 187,500 people have been displaced in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict.

The Biden administration has signaled its steadfast support for Israel, a longtime U.S. ally. At least 11 Americans were killed in the Hamas attacks that included a massacre at a music festival, the White House confirmed on Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.