About 500 people today protested outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur against the deadly Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip that have killed close to 400 people in the Palestinian territory.

In the hour-long demonstration, the crowd led by a coalition of 45 Muslim NGOs, condemned Washington's open support for Israel.

IsraelPalestine-crowd-01 The protest, which began at 11.30am with a march from Tabung Haji headquarters in Jalan Tun Razak, ended without any incident.

While today’s protest is considered illegal as it did not have a police permit, the 80-strong police personnel kept to themselves a short distance away and did not try to stop the event.

The protesters marched passed heavy traffic to the US embassy 400 metres away. A team of PAS security unit assisted in ensuring that the protestors keep to the sidewalks instead of spilling into the busy city road.

The crowd, trailed by two police motorbike, chanted “Allahu Akbar”, “Destroy America” and “Long Live Islam” while hoisting the Palestinian flags and several banners condemning both Israel and the US.

Among the marchers was a number of Palestinians, one of whom was briefly hoisted on the shoulders of a group of people, who then led the protest chant in Arabic.

March brought to a halt by a wall of cops

The march was however brought to a complete halt 50 metres away from the embassy with the police light strike force forming a human barrier against the protesters.

PAS leaders comprising PAS Youth chief Salahudin Ayub, party vice-president Mohammad Sabu, International Affairs bureau chief Syed Azman Syed Ahmad, Titiwangsa MP Dr Lo'Lo' Ghazali, treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli negotiated with the police for 20 minutes as the protesters continued chanting under the hot noon sun.

IsraelPalestine 01 The five leaders were eventually allowed to present a memorandum at the embassy's guard house to a representative from the embassy.

The memorandum urged the US to use its influence to restrain Israel from continuing its “barbaric act” against the Palestinians in Gaza Strip.

"We hold the United States responsible for the deaths, destructions and suffering by the wanton acts of Tel Aviv," it said.

Isreal attack Hamas controlled Gaza Strip in Palestine Warplanes today pounded Gaza for a fourth day as tanks stood by to join the "all-out" war Israel vowed would wipe out Hamas, which formed the government in Gaza Strip.

The memorandum was addressed to outgoing US President George W Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The protesters later marched back to Tabung Haji headquarters, and the gathering ended with a short prayer session.

‘It’s a humanitarian issue’

Dr Lo'Lo' later told Malaysiakini that she suspects the representative sent by the embassy was merely a security personnel. "We don't know his name neither do we know his position."

"This is not an Islamic issue alone but a humanitarian issue," she stressed.

IsraelPalestine Mohamad Sabu, who had addressed the crowd earlier, echoed Lo' Lo's sentiments.

He said the brutality committed by the Israelis should be condemned not only by Muslims but also by non-Muslims.

"Westerns NGOs have condemned this act of violence, Gaza is akin to a prison - 1.6 million Palestinians are confined (inside a wall)," lamented the PAS leader.

"The attacks are launched on unarmed citizens, woman and children. The hospitals do not have enough blood and medicine. Can you imagine what will happen in the next few days?" he asked.

Mohamad called on the Malaysian government to take sterner action instead of merely issuing a statement to condemn the attacks.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi had in a statement yesterday condemned the latest round of violence in Palestine.

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