Thousands of Gazans rally to condemn Israel-UAE deal

A great number of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday rallied against the U.S.-brokered deal to normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Protesters burned Israeli and American flags, trampled on posters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, and chanted 'normalization is betrayal to Jerusalem and Palestine.' Unlike Palestinian protesters last Friday near the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City who also burned posters of the Emirati crown prince, the Gaza demonstrators stopped short of burning symbols of the UAE — apparently not to antagonize the Gulf Arab country, where tens of thousands of Palestinians work and live. The demonstrators in Gaza City also voiced support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his rejection of President Donald Trump's Mideast plan, which the Palestinians say unfairly favors Israel. The protest was organized by the Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, and other factions. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, denounced the Israeli-Emirati deal. 'Normalization with the occupation harms us and doesn't serve us,' he said. 'Instead, it serves and promotes the occupation in its projects that target Palestine and the region.'