Rallies worldwide protest arms supplies to Israel

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations demanding an end to arms shipments to Israel were held on Saturday in major cities around the world as the current round of Palestine-Israel conflict approaches its first anniversary.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in London on Saturday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an end to the ever-escalating conflicts in the Middle East.

They also asked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stop all arms trade with Israel.

"Stop providing them with the means to commit genocide, stop being complicit in a genocide. They need to stop all arms [deliveries], and sanctions, just like they would do on any other country," said Joseph, a protester.

Demonstrators also rallied in support of Palestine in Paris, Rome, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona and Cape Town on the day, demanding an end to violence in Gaza and the wider Middle East and protesting arms deliveries to Israel by Western countries.

The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip had risen to 41,825, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday.

The statement said 96,900 others had been injured by Israeli attacks since the current round of the conflict broke out on October 7, 2023.

Rallies worldwide protest arms supplies to Israel

Rallies worldwide protest arms supplies to Israel

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Thursday said that China is willing to work with the armed forces of regional countries to share the responsibility of maintaining security in the Gulf of Guinea.

Dong made the remarks while meeting with heads of delegations attending the second edition of the seminar on security situation in the Gulf of Guinea in Shanghai.

Hosted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, the seminar brought together maritime armed force leaders and defense attaches from 18 nations, including Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria.

During the meeting, Dong also called for efforts to promote systematic maritime cooperation, carry forward the traditional friendship with regional countries, and contribute to the building of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

The heads of delegations attending the meeting expressed the willingness to enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation with China to jointly build a secure, stable, and prosperous Gulf of Guinea.

China's defense minister stresses shared responsibility for maintaining security in Gulf of Guinea