World marks Quds Day with rallies

Millions of people have taken to the streets in Iran and cities across the world in annual show of solidarity with the Palestinians and in condemnation of Israel's decades-long occupation of Jerusalem also known as Al-Quds. 

The rallies are held to mark Al-Quds Day, which falls on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The day was founded by revolutionary leader Ayatollah ruhollah Khomeini to counter 'Jerusalem Day', held this year on 24 May, on which Israelis celebrate the 'reunification' of the city after Israel's victory in the 1967 Six Day War. 

The international community has never recognised the move, and deems Israel's presence in East Jerusalem and the West Bank an occupation.

In Tehran and other cities and towns, people from all walks of life gathered for the annual event which usually marks people chanting slogans against Israel and burning the occupying regime's flags. 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani along with other senior Iranian officials took part in the Tehran rally.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Rouhani said "the message of Quds Day is that of hatred towards the occupying regime as well as support for the oppressed nation" of Palestine.

He underlined the importance of this year's Quds Day "given the presence of terrorists in the region, who he said are backed by Israel," adding people are determined to cleanse the region of Tel Aviv-backed terrorists.

Rouhani said the high turnout in the demonstrations also serves as a response to the United States, which has recently been seeking to pile pressure on Iran by tightening its sanctions.

During the rallies in the capital, Iran also put on display three surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, including the Zolfaghar, the type that Iran used this week to destroy Daesh positions in Syria.

The public celebrations took on a tense tone this year in the wake of the souring of relations between Tehran and Washington since US President Donald Trump took office: state TV showed people carrying pictures and effigies of the president, burning US and Israeli flags and shouting 'Death to America!", as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on citizens to show Iran is not afraid of American "threats".

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Some carried pictures of Trump, as well as British Prime Minister Theresa May and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, captioned "Death to the Devil Triangle"

The rally also inaugurated a huge digital countdown display at Tehran Palestine Square, showing that Israel will allegedly cease to exist in 8,411 days.

In 2015, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei predicted that after 25 years -- by 2040 -- there will no longer be a State of Israel.

"It is not just that we are defending an oppressed nation that has been driven out of its home. We are actually fighting against an oppressive and arrogant political system," Ayatollah Khamenei said in his Quds Day message.

Half a century of occupation

Earlier this month, Palestinians marked the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Six-Day War, which saw Israel occupy the West Bank, East Jerusalem al-Quds, the Gaza Strip and part of Syria's Golan Heights.

In November that year, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 242, under which Israel is required to withdraw from all territories seized in the war.

Tel Aviv withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but has been keeping the coastal enclave under a crippling siege and regular deadly offensives. The regime has also been expanding settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds in breach of international laws.

The global protests this year coincide with stepped-up killing of Palestinians, their forced displacement and abusive detention by Israel.

World in solidarity with Palestine

Massive rallies were reported from Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq, India and Pakistan were people came out to join annual anti-Israel demonstrations.

The demonstrators also pledged unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.

Elsewhere in eastern Saudi Arabia, people braved a military siege on the town of Awamiyah in the Qatif region and held a rally in solidarity with Palestine.