Hundreds gather at North Texas events to support Palestine, Israel amid Hamas-Israel conflict
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - Hundreds gathered in North Texas Sunday to support both Palestine and Israel as the Hamas-Israel conflict continues.
In Dallas, a huge crowd chanted outside City Hall in support of those affected in Gaza during a Protest for Palestine. Organizers said they were surprised but pleased with the huge turnout.
"When our people in Palestine rise up, we rise up," said Raneem Al-Hendy, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, Dallas Chapter.
In Gaza, the Health Ministry said Sunday that Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 2,670 people, including hundreds of children, and left more than 9,600 others wounded.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza have been displaced, and Israel's military issued a warning Thursday that everyone in northern Gaza should evacuate to the south of the enclave, raising expectations that an Israeli invasion was imminent.
The Texas Stands with Israel event in Irving reached capacity quickly.
Supporters said the goal of the event in Irving was to show support and hope that all their loved ones and Israelis could get through this safely.
At one point the entire crowd chanted "Let my people go."
Israel says at least 1,300 people there, most of them civilians, have been killed since Hamas launched the coordinated, multi-fronted attack from the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory it has controlled for years.
FBI Director Christopher Wray says threats in the U.S. have been rising since the Hamas attack on Israel.
He said Jews and Muslims, as well as their institutions and houses of worship, have been threatened in the U.S. and said the bureau is "moving quickly to mitigate" the threats.
