Dallas (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Nearly a month has passed since the terrorist organization Hamas launched a full-scale attack on Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,400 Israelis and sparking an all-out war between Israel and Hamas. On Sunday, people in North Texas gathered at two separate events in Dallas to raise awareness about the ongoing war.
Hundreds of people from all walks of life gathered at Turtle Creek Park on Sunday to call for a ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
Since the October 7 attack, the Gaza Ministry of Health has announced that Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 9,400 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 3,600 children.
“I think we need to be heard, and I think our leaders need to take a stance, take action, and listen to the voices of our people. “We need to save innocent people, we need to save innocent people. This is genocide in front of the people. We have to face it,” protesters said at the event. said Crystal, who declined to give her last name.
Yasmeen Azzam is a Palestinian-American.
“It’s different when it’s in your blood. I’ve been there many times, my family, my grandparents grew up there,” Azzam said. “It’s really hard to know that it’s actually your blood and it’s actually my people.”
She and her friends want to add their voice to calls for a ceasefire and are critical of US support for Israel.
“It’s like our country and our government is funding it and we can’t do anything to stop it,” Azzam said.
Less than eight miles away, community members gathered at a dinner table outside Dallas City Hall on Sunday. The table was set aside for the 241 representatives of Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas in the October 7 attack. There was also a high chair for the child who was taken.
“To raise awareness and maybe wake up the world so we can do something and bring these babies home, we are here in Dallas,” said Rachel Ben Yaish, one of the event organizers. “We decided that we needed a table like this.” At City Hall.
Diana Krompass, who lives in Dallas, said two of her relatives in Israel were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th.
“It’s like a nightmare and it’s scary,” said Krompus, holding two posters with the names and faces of his loved ones on them. “We can’t do much here. All we can do is shout, ‘Take them home!'”
Many North Texans say these events give them hope.
“It feels good to go out and see how many people are there. It just makes you feel like you have a purpose,” Yasmin El Ali said while protesting at Turtle Creek Park. he said.
“We want everyone to come home. We want our soldiers to come back. We don’t like war, we don’t want to fight. We want peace. ,” Krompus said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott visited Israel on Thursday to express support for the country as the war continues. The United States called for a pause in fighting, but Israel rejected the request.