At least 2,000 pro-Palestinian supporters took to the streets in Montreal Sunday to denounce Israel’s military action in Gaza and ask for an end to the blockade.
Israeli supporters say the violence is a response to Hamas aggression.
Both Palestinian and Israeli supporters say they want peace but are doubtful that a three-day ceasefire brokered in Egypt and announced Sunday will be respected.
Rasha Ayouby says her family was forced to leave Israel almost 40 years ago because of discriminatory policies towards Palestinians.
“Ceasefire or no ceasefire what we need to look at are the root, root causes of this conflict and address them once and for all,” she said.
Many of the demonstrators say one of the root causes is the Israeli blockade of Gaza since 2007.
“The living conditions for the Palestinians in Gaza are virtually impossible, they're actually terrible, and that is actually the source of the violence,” said Bruce Katz of human rights organization Palestinian and Jewish Unity.
Over the past month more than 1,900 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians.
Luciano del Negro, vice-president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, says Hamas has been putting its population in harm’s way.
“They will not refrain from using their own people to gain international public relations victory,” he said.
Many protesters want peace but don't believe Hamas is the source of the problem.
“The conflict is the expulsion of Palestinians not allowing them to come back, I am a living example of that a lot of people here are living examples of that so to just keep repeating this mantra that the conflict is about Hamas, is a deflection of what the true roots of this conflict are,” said one participant in the rally.
