Israel-Hamas war: Pro-Palestinian marches banned and Jewish schools closed amid fears of rising tension in Europe
“I’m terrified,” says Hope. “I’m just scared to leave my home.”
An Israeli living in Berlin for the past 20 years, her world changed in an instant following Hamas’s attack last Saturday.
She said she didn’t sleep for the following three days.
Follow the latest from the conflict as Israel begins its initial ground mission in Gaza
Desperate for updates, she was glued to Israeli news channels while trying to contact loved ones back home.
A week on, reports of rises in antisemitism in parts of Europe and calls by a former Hamas leader for a “Day of Rage” mean Hope is petrified to go out.
“Around the world, Jews and Israelis not being safe – this is something that I have never, ever dreamed of in my entire life,” she tells me.
Her terror is so great that she asked us not to publish her photo or real name for fear of being targeted.
She says she’s heard reports of neighbours leaving knives outside Israelis’ homes.
Although we can’t verify those reports, Hope’s fear isn’t unfounded.
Read more on this story:
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Why Israel is braced for Hezbollah attack from Lebanon
How negotiators will be working to free Hamas hostages
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Gaza evacuations begin
Experts say there’s a pattern of increasing attacks on Jews following escalating violence in the Middle East.
“The risk is particularly high in Germany because antisemites of all political stripes are well-organised in Germany,” explains Aycan Demirel, an antisemitism prevention advisor.
In the hours following Hamas’s attack, Germany, along with France and the UK, quickly increased security around Jewish sites amid fear local communities would be targeted.
Extra police are visible outside the country’s biggest synagogue.
One of the private security officers standing outside tells us some parents are afraid to bring their children to the linked school in case it’s targeted by antisemitic terrorists.
It’s a fear the head of the Jewish Community of Berlin, Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, has heard repeated by his congregation during the past week.
Police officers guard the Rykestrasse Synagogue. Pic: Adam Berry
Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal. Pic: Adam Berry
“People are concerned and worried. [On Friday], there was a call for violence [against Jews], more students didn’t show up than showed up,” he says. “I personally believe that we should not change our lifestyle or what we are doing because that’s exactly what the terrorists want.”
Rabbi Teichtal estimates around 250,000 Jews live in Germany, with 50,000 of them based in Berlin.
He says many are traumatised by the unspeakable violence being reported.
One member of the community told him their grandmother saw a woman being raped and murdered in Israel’s kibbutz of Kfar Aza after Hamas’s unexpected assault from the Gaza Strip.
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Across Europe, leaders are rushing to try to prevent any spillover violence from the Israel-Hamas war.
France, which has Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish populations, has banned all pro-Palestinian protests, using water cannon and tear gas to disperse those defying the order in Paris.
The government said more than 100 antisemitic acts and 2,000 reports had been recorded since Saturday.
In a televised address, President Macron urged the country to stay united, adding the “first duty” was to protect French Jews from attacks and discrimination.
In Amsterdam, three Jewish schools were closed on Friday due to security concerns.
In Spain and Portugal, members of the Jewish community were on high alert after two synagogues were vandalised with pro-Palestine graffiti.
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Inside family home that Hamas attacked
The German chancellor has vowed zero tolerance for antisemitism and banned all activities supporting Hamas’s attack, including using their symbols or burning the Israeli flag.
It follows a police report that hours after Hamas entered Israel, cakes and sweets were handed out at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin as some seemed to celebrate.
As a result, such rallies have been repeatedly cancelled in the city over public safety fears.
Small, spontaneous protests have sprung up on Sonnenallee, where many Palestinians live, only to be quickly shut down by police.
Pic: Adam Berry
Pro-Palestinian posters destroyed after an effective ban on demonstrations. Pic: Adam Berry
Remnants of posters advertising the events hang from the walls where they’ve been ripped down.
“You can’t carry the Palestinian flag, if you do the police will take it away,” says local resident Mohammed.
He says he doesn’t want to show his face as he “doesn’t want problems with the police”.
“Everyone is really annoyed they’re not allowed to demonstrate,” he adds.
The national flag still flies above some of the streets’ cafes or is painted on to trees.
One man shows me his Palestine Liberation Organisation tattoo, but everyone here is reluctant to give interviews.
“It’s all dark, everything is black,” one resident tells me, describing how demoralised many of his neighbours feel.
Pic: Adam Berry
“Hamas and Palestine have two different flags, but everything is treated as if it’s all Hamas even though one is a country and one is a party.”
He tells me he’s worried for his family stuck in Gaza amid heavy shelling.
“There are innocent people dying on both sides, but I tell people here not to talk to anyone. Anyone who opens their mouth is asking for trouble. They even shut down demonstrations that are for peace,” he says.
Minutes after we finish speaking, we see a large group of police on the street.
Between them are two German left-wing activists.
One is wearing a red and white Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, the other a necklace in the colours of the flag.
They tell us they were stopped on suspicion of handing out pro-Palestinian flyers, which they deny.
A leftist activist named Glenn waits to be released by police officers. Pic: Adam Berry
The man wearing the necklace says his name in Glenn and that he’s a member of Young Struggle, a socialist youth organisation.
He believes the blanket banning of all pro-Palestinian protests is “pure repression” and an attack on free speech.
While they may not agree with each other, his point raises another challenge for democratic governments in Europe.
“If we do not make a clear distinction between pro-Palestinian groups and groups supporting the antisemitic terroristic organisation Hamas, if we do not act against antisemitism and anti-Muslim racism, then this can lead to more hatred and the likelihood of further radicalisation will increase.
“In the long run this will lead to an even greater threat of radicalisation and violence,” explains Rüdiger Jose Hamm, co-managing director of the national committee on religiously motivated extremism.
Back in Berlin, the police finish their inquiries and move on, but there’s an uneasy feeling on the street; the sense the escalating conflict in the Middle East is already stoking fear and tension in communities in Europe.
To the sound of mournful chants and the slow beat of drums, they march, whipping their backs with metal flails.
It is an ancient ceremony going back almost 14 centuries – the Shia commemoration of Ashura.
But this year in particular has poignant significance for Iranians.
The devout remember the betrayal and death of the Imam Hussein as if it happened yesterday.
Iranians gather ahead of Ashura
We filmed men and women weep as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine in northern Tehran.
The grandson of the Prophet Muhammad was killed by the armies of the Caliph Yazid in the seventh century Battle of Karbala.
Shia Muslims mark the anniversary every year and reflect on the virtue it celebrates – of resistance against oppression and injustice. But more so than ever this year, in the wake of Israel and America’s attacks on their country.
The story is one of prevailing over adversity and deception. A sense of betrayal is keenly felt here by people and officials.
Men and women weeped as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine
Many Iranians believe they were lured into pursuing diplomacy as part of a ruse by the US.
Iran believed it was making diplomatic progress in talks with America, which it hoped could lead to a deal. Then Israel launched its attacks and, instead of condemning them, the US joined in.
“Death to Israel” chants resounded outside the mosque in skies that for 12 days were filled with the sounds of Israeli jets.
There is a renewed sense of defiance here.
One man told us: “The lesson to be learned from Hussein is not to give in to oppression, even if it is the most powerful force in the world.”
‘I don’t think about Trump. Nobody likes him,’ one woman tells Sky News
A woman was dismissive about the US president.
“I don’t think about Trump. Nobody likes him. He always wants to attack too many countries.”
Pictures on billboards nearby link Imam Hussein’s story and current events. They show the seventh century imam on horseback alongside images of modern missiles and drones from the present day.
Other huge signs remember the dead. Iran says almost 1,000 people were killed in the strikes, many of them women and children.
Officially Iran is projecting defiance, but not closing the door to diplomacy.
Government spokeswoman Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani told Sky News that Israel should not even think about attacking again.
“We are very strong in defence, and as state officials have announced, this time Israel will receive an even stronger response compared to previous times. We hope that Israel will not make such a mistake.”
Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani said it would be a mistake for Israel to attack again
But there is also a hint of conciliation. Senior Iranian officials have told Sky News back-channel efforts are under way to explore new talks with the US.
Israel had hoped its attacks could topple the Iranian leadership. Those hopes proved unfounded. The government is in control here.
For many Iranians it seems quite the opposite happened – the 12-day war has brought them closer together.
World
Two security workers injured after grenades thrown at aid site, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says
Two American security workers in Gaza were injured after grenades were thrown during food distribution in Khan Younis, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has said.
In a statement, the US and Israeli-backed aid group said a targeted terrorist attack was carried out at one of its sites in southern Gaza on Saturday morning.
The two Americans injured “are receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition,” it said, adding that the delivery of aid was “otherwise successful” and that “no local aid workers or civilians were harmed”.
GHF didn’t say exactly when the incident happened but claimed Hamas was behind the attack, adding: “GHF has repeatedly warned of credible threats from Hamas, including explicit plans to target American personnel, Palestinian aid workers, and the civilians who rely on our sites for food.
“Today’s attack tragically affirms those warnings.”
Later, the aid group posted a picture on social media, which it said showed “fragments of a grenade packed with ball bearings” that was used in the attack.
Asked by Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, whether the two injured individuals were responsible for handing out aid or were responsible for providing security, GHF said they were “American security workers” and “two American veterans.”
The aid group did not provide specific evidence that Hamas was behind the attack.
The US and Israeli-backed group has been primarily responsible for aid distribution since Israel lifted its 11-week blockade of the Gaza Strip in May.
Read more:
Hamas gives ‘positive’ response to ceasefire proposal
Outcry as Israeli strike hits school
94 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza, health staff say
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It comes after Sky News analysis showed GHF aid distributions are associated with a significant increase in deaths in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, 600 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid from GHF sites as of 3 July, which charities and the UN have branded “death traps”.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press has reported that Israeli-backed American contractors guarding GHF aid centres in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades.
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Contractors allege colleagues ‘fired on Palestinians’
GHF has vehemently denied the accusations, adding that it investigated AP’s allegations and found them to be “categorically false”.
Israel’s military added that it fires only warning shots and is investigating reports of civilian harm.
It denies deliberately shooting at any innocent civilians and says it’s examining how to reduce “friction with the population” in the areas surrounding the distribution centres.
Hamas has said it has “submitted its positive response” to the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza to mediators.
The proposal for a 60-day ceasefire was presented by US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing hard for a deal to end the fighting in Gaza, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to visit the White House next week to discuss a deal.
Mr Trump said Israel had agreed to his proposed ceasefire terms, and he urged Hamas to accept the deal as well.
Hamas’ “positive” response to the proposal had slightly different wording on three issues around humanitarian aid, the status of the Israeli Defence Forces inside Gaza and the language around guarantees beyond the 60-day ceasefire, a source with knowledge of the negotiations revealed.
But the source told Sky News: “Things are looking good.”
A woman cries after her son was killed while on his way to an aid distribution centre. Pic: AP/Jehad Alshrafi
Hamas said it is “fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework” without elaborating on what needed to be worked out in the proposal’s implementation.
The US said during the ceasefire it would “work with all parties to end the war”.
A Hamas official said on condition of anonymity that the truce could start as early as next week.
An Israeli army tank advances in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel. Pic: AP/Leo Correa
But he added that talks were needed first to establish how many Palestinian prisoners would be released in return for each freed Israeli hostage and to specify the amount of humanitarian aid that will be allowed to enter Gaza during the ceasefire.
He said negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in return for the release of the remaining hostages would start on the first day of the truce.
Hamas has been seeking guarantees that the 60-day ceasefire would lead to a total end to the nearly 21-month-old war, which caused previous rounds of negotiations to fail as Mr Netanyahu has insisted that Israel would continue fighting in Gaza to ensure the destruction of Hamas.
The Hamas official said that Mr Trump has guaranteed that the ceasefire will extend beyond 60 days if necessary to reach a peace deal, but there is no confirmation from the US of such a guarantee.
Speaking to journalists on Air Force One, Mr Trump welcomed Hamas’s “positive spirit” to the proposal, adding that there could be a ceasefire deal by next week.
Palestinians dispersing away from tear gas fired at an aid distribution site in Gaza. Pic: AP
A girl mourns the loss of her father, who was killed while heading to an aid distribution hub. Pic: AP/Jehad Alshrafi
Hamas also said it wants more aid to flow through the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, which comes as the UN human rights officer said it recorded 613 Palestinians killed in Gaza within a month while trying to obtain aid.
Most of them were said to have been killed while trying to reach food distribution points by the controversial US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The spokeswoman for the UN human rights office, Ravina Shamdasani, said the agency was not able to attribute responsibility for the killings, but added that “it is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points” operated by GHF.
Read more:
The man in the room acting as backchannel for Hamas in negotiations with US
GHF reacts to claims US contractors fired at Palestinians
Deaths in Gaza rise significantly when GHF distributes aid
Palestinians carry aid packages near the GHF distribution centre in Khan Younis. Pic: AP/Abdel Kareem Hana
Ms Shamdasani said that of the total tallied, 509 killings were “GHF-related”, meaning at or near its distribution sites.
The GHF accused the UN of taking its casualty figures “directly from the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry” and of trying “to falsely smear our effort”, which echoed statements to Sky News by the executive director of GHF, Johnnie Moore.
Mr Moore called the UN figures a “disinformation campaign” that is “meant to shut down our efforts” in the Gaza Strip.
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