Hundreds rally in New York City to call for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war
NEW YORK -- Hundreds of people rallied on the steps of the New York Public Library in Midtown on Thursday, calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Counter-protesters also gathered across the street, waving Israeli flags.
Watch Chopper 2 over the rally
Yasmeen Elagha has family in Gaza.
"Their lives have been a hellish nightmare," she said.
Elagha says the situation inside Gaza is dire for her family and is only getting worse with time.
"My grandparents and mentally disabled uncle don't have access to life-saving medication," she said.
- Related story: Israel-Hamas war rages, death toll soars in Gaza, but there's at least hope for new cease-fire talks
With frequent airstrikes and lack of basic needs, she says 10 family members are trying to evacuate via the Rafah Crossing, including her two family members that are American citizens.
"There has been no action from the U.S. government. We are still waiting for the U.S. citizens and their family members to get put on the list," Elagha said.
As hundreds of people rally in support of a cease-fire, Elagha believes even if a deal was reached, the bombings would continue.
"Gaza can give Israel everything it wants, and I think Israel will continue to bombard Gaza and it will continue its violence against Gaza," she said.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials say the operation in Gaza specifically targets Hamas. Tsach Saar, the Deputy and Acting Consul General of Israel in New York, says the mission is to eliminate Hamas after their brutal massacre on Southern Israel on Oct. 7.
"Demilitarize the Gaza Strip. We should have all hostages back home. This is what needs to happen," Saar said.
The protesters are also calling to halt any aid package for Israel from passing on Capitol Hill.
Israel says there's still 136 hostages inside Gaza at this time, and right now, we're waiting on a United Nations proposal to be voted on that aims to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Watch Shosh Bedrosian's report
"This is a genocide that's taking place and we cannot wash our hands of this," Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani said.
"Until Hamas surrenders or is entirely defeated, the Israeli army cannot stop fighting," pro-Israel demonstrator Wendy Shafir said.
The two protests stopped traffic in Midtown at times, their passion and heartbreak palpable as the death toll mounts overseas.
"I would like to see people live without fear, and I don't think we're gonna get that by bombing," pro-Palestinian demonstrator Daphna Thier said.
Meanwhile, five miles south at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn USA Youth Basketball was playing a special game -- two teams of high schoolers, each side made up of both Israeli and Palestinian New Yorkers.
"I think with all the tension that is going on here in New York City, around the world, that we need to find different avenues to relate to each other in a calm and reasonable way," Congressman Dan Goldman said.
The purpose of the game is to let kids from different backgrounds get to know each other as teammates without the backdrop of politics and war.
"The young people are probably gonna guide us into the future as it relates to all of these matters and all of these issues," former New York City councilman Robert Cornegy said. "To collaborate around sports and kind of leave everything else on the side is the potential to have a new conversation started.
Basketball is probably not gonna achieve world peace...
"You just come together and you play as one. That's all that matters," one player said.
But they hope the court can bring some common ground.
