Mehbooba leads PDP protest against Israel's offensive in Gaza, says it can have grave consequences for world

Srinagar: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday led a protest by her party against Israel's military campaign in Gaza and said its consequences can be very grave for the world in the coming times.

Mufti and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) activists gathered at the party headquarters near Sher-e-Kashmir Park here and tried to march towards the Lal Chowk city centre but were stopped by a posse of policemen near the General Post Office (GPO).

The protesters raised slogans against Israel while Mufti was seen carrying the Palestinian flag.

Speaking to reporters, Mufti said about 1,500 children and thousands of other innocents have been killed in Palestine so far but the whole world is watching as a mute spectator.

"When 500 children were killed in two years in Ukraine, the whole world cried, but today no one is speaking up," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.

Mufti said the conflict could increase terrorism around the world.

"There is oppression in Palestine, supply of food, water and medicines has been stopped, and people are being bombarded. Israel is doing to Palestine what was done to the Jews in the holocaust and its consequences can be very grave in the coming times."

"There is already too much terrorism in the world but due to this and injustice, more people will take up arms, which can worsen the situation in the world. So we say the oppressors of Israel should vacate Palestine," she said.

The latest Israel-Palestine conflict has been triggered by the unprecedented and multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas militants on October 7. Israel has launched a massive counter-offensive in Gaza to avenge the attacks.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 3,300 people have been killed and over 12,000 wounded in Gaza since the conflict began.