Moroccans march in pro-Palestinian rally

Thousands of Moroccans demonstrated Sunday in the northern city of Tangier in support of the Palestinian people and against Morocco's ties with Israel, an AFP journalist saw.

"Gaza is not alone," chanted the protesters during the event which saw the grouping of leftist parties and Islamist movements.

The protesters took to the streets of the coastal city after reports last month of an Israeli ship's docking in Tangier port.

Coming from the United States, the ship made a pit stop in Tangier on June 19, according to Israeli media.

Moroccan authorities have yet to confirm the reports.

On June 24, the kingdom announced the sending of 40 tonnes of medical aid to the population of Gaza, ravaged by war since Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants had also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, including 42 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel has since carried out a military offensive that has killed at least 38,153 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to data from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Sunday's protests also called on the kingdom to end its ties with Israel.

Morocco established diplomatic ties with Israel in late 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords which saw similar moves by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Under the deal, the United States recognised Morocco's claim to sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Several demonstrations have taken place in the North African country since the Gaza war broke out in October.

Rabat has officially denounced what it said were "flagrant violations of the provisions of international law" by Israel in its war against Hamas.

But it has not given any indication that normalisation with Israel would be undone.