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5 min ago

It's morning in Gaza. Here's what you need to know

From CNN's Jomana Karadsheh, Kareem Khadder, Niamh Kennedy, Abeer Salman and Tamar Michaelis

Heavy fighting near Gaza’s largest hospital has left it in a “catastrophic situation,” with patients and staff trapped inside, ambulances unable to collect the wounded and life-support systems without electricity, health officials and aid agencies are reporting.

Hostilities around the hospital, Gaza’s largest, “have not stopped,” according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, with constant bombardment preventing evacuations and making it too dangerous for ambulance journeys, according to the organization.

A freelance journalist told CNN the situation is dire, with medics working by candlelight, food being rationed, and other resources dwindling.

Three newborn babies died after the hospital went “out of service” amid intense fighting in the area, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which claims the hospital is surrounded on all four sides by Israeli forces and under “complete siege.”

The Israeli army told CNN it is engaged in “ongoing intense fighting” against Hamas in the vicinity of the hospital complex, but denies firing at the northern Gaza medical center and has rejected suggestions the hospital is under siege. Israel has said it is in touch with hospital leaders and has offered assistance with evacuations.

CNN has been unable to confirm whether anyone was able to leave the hospital complex over the past day.

Here are other headlines you should know:

• Major protests: Around 300,000 people turned out for a large pro-Palestinian rally in London Saturday, where police said they arrested dozens of counter-protesters who were headed for a confrontation with rally-goers. The London march was one in a growing number of demonstrations calling for a ceasefire, including large rallies in Brussels and Paris, and a gathering near US President Joe Biden's Delaware home.
• No ceasefire: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the growing international calls for a ceasefire, saying Saturday that Israel's battle against Hamas will continue, "with all our force, with all our might."
• Hezbollah chief's rare speech: Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech Saturday that his group will keep pressure on Israel as the country seeks to "impose submission" on the region. The powerful, Iran-backed paramilitary group has been trading fire across the Lebanon-Israel border.
• Humanitarian aid: The people of Gaza are being "choked" by continuous bombardment, a United Nations agency head warned on Saturday. More than 700,000 women, children, and men now live in UN schools and shelters, the official said. The Palestine Red Crescent Society received 53 aid trucks packed with vital supplies — including food, water, relief items, medical equipment and medications, but no fuel — the group said Saturday.
• Rafah crossing: Operations at the Rafah land crossing will resume Sunday for the departure of foreign passport holders, the General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza said in a statement Saturday. The group will be limited to a pre-approved list.
• Hostage negotiations: Negotiations to release more hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attacks are moving in a positive direction, but the situation remains fluid — and the continued bombardment of Gaza isn’t helping matters, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said Saturday.

6 min ago

French president calls on people to stand up against the 'resurgence of unbridled antisemitism'

From CNN's Heather Law in Atlanta

French President Emmanuel Macron called on his people to stand up against "the unbearable resurgence of unbridled antisemitism," in a letter published Saturday night by French newspaper Le Parisien.

More than one thousand antisemitic acts were committed in France in one month, Macron wrote, adding that this number is three times more than the number of hate attacks executed against French Jews all of last year.

Macron emphasized that this in turn has caused the Jewish community to experience "legitimate anguish," saying they are going as far as to erase their names to protect themselves.

"A France where our Jewish citizens are afraid is not France. A France where French people are afraid because of their religion or their origin is not France," the letter read.

Macron went on to reiterate his belief that Israel has the right to defend itself, saying "putting Hamas out of harm's way is a necessity," while simultaneously stressing that "this defense must be accompanied by the resumption of political dialogue and ensure the protection of civilians and hostages in Gaza."

"We want justice, peace and security for the people of Israel, for the Palestinian people and for the states of the region," Macron said. "We want French unity."

The letter was released on the eve of Sunday's historic march against antisemitism being held in the French capital. Macron addressed the march in his letter saying he sees it "as a reason for hope."

This comes a day after Macron called for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying it is "the only solution" to the war between Israel and Hamas.

6 min ago

Police arrest at least 126 as pro-Palestinian rally draws counter-protests in London

From CNN’s Eve Brennan in London and Heather Law in Atlanta

At least 126 people were arrested in London on Saturday following a large pro-Palestinian rally and counter-protests, according to London’s Metropolitan Police.

Police intercepted a group of 150 people who were launching fireworks towards the end of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PCS) march that attracted over 300,000 people, Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said in a statement issued Saturday afternoon. 

Arrests were made after some of the fireworks struck officers in the face, the statement read. 

A CNN team on the ground also heard shouts and observed a heavy police presence as a group of far-right protestors tried to storm a war memorial, the Cenotaph, on Armistice Day. 

Large groups of pro-Palestinian supporters had also marched pass the US embassy in London. Similar demonstrations were held in Brussels, where thousands took to the streets.

The English Defense League (EDL) is a far-right group founded by Tommy Robinson who, according to Robinson’s account on X, was at the Cenotaph to pay his respects on Saturday. 

"The extreme violence from the right wing protestors towards the police today was extraordinary and deeply concerning, " Twist wrote.

Nine officers were injured while confronting the violent crowd getting to the Cenotaph while a remembrance service was taking place, Twist explained. Two officers will require hospital treatment after sustaining a fractured elbow and a suspected dislocated hip. 

Several officers are still deployed across central London in case of anymore "outbreaks of disorder," Twist concluded. 

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the violent scenes seen in London on Saturday in a statement posted to social media, saying "all criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law."

6 min ago

Rafah border crossing to resume Sunday – Gaza Crossings and Borders Authority

From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman and Hamdi Alkhshali

The General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza has said operations at the Rafah land crossing will resume Sunday for the departure of foreign passport holders.

It emphasized that only individuals whose names are on the list that was released on November 1 will be permitted to travel through the Rafah crossing.

The Rafah crossing failed to open Friday for foreign nationals wishing to leave Gaza, highlighting once again the frustrations facing diplomats looking to get their nationals out of the strip.

CNN spoke to two diplomatic sources in Egypt about the process – one of them described it as “long, non-transparent and arduous.” 

7 min ago

MSF: hostilities around Al-Shifa hospital 'have not stopped'

From CNN's Eve Brennan in London and Kareem Khadder in Jerusalem

Hostilities around Al-Shifa Hospital Saturday “have not stopped,” according to Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders.

“The ambulances can no longer move to collect the injured, and non-stop bombardment prevents patients and staff from evacuating,” the organization said in a statement.

A freelance journalist based at the hospital told CNN there were still dozens of bodies at the hospital awaiting burial, but that people feared going outside to bury them. 

“The situation is very difficult and dire. After a slowdown in shelling this afternoon, the shelling and gunfire resumed, heavily targeting anything that moves,” Mustafa Sarsour said.

Medics inside the hospital are working by candlelight, Sarsour said. Other resources are also getting scarce.

“We are running out of canned food. The food is being rationed on patients and medical crews, and I have even seen doctors and nurses giving their own food to patients. … Now the electricity is cut off, people (have) started drinking the pipe water,” the journalist said.

Some background: The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said the hospital was under "complete siege" Saturday, and that a floor of the complex's surgery building was heavily shelled. The ministry says three newborn babies died at the hospital after it "went out of service" due to heavy damage.

Israel’s army has said there is “ongoing intense fighting” around the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital, but denied claims it was firing at or laying siege to the complex.

It has also said it is in touch with the hospital director and willing to help people leave. Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Saturday evening that the hospital staff has requested help evacuating babies from the pediatric department, and that the IDF "will provide the assistance needed" Sunday.

CNN has been unable to confirm whether anyone was able to leave the hospital complex over the course of the day.

7 min ago

Israeli military says it will help evacuate babies from Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital

From CNN’s Tamar Michaelis in Jerusalem

The Israeli military has said it will help evacuate babies from the paediatric unit of Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital tomorrow. 

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said in a press briefing on Saturday: “The staff of the Shifa Hospital has requested that tomorrow we will help the babies in the pediatric department get to a safer hospital. We will provide the assistance needed.” 

Earlier on Saturday, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza said three newborn babies had died at the hospital after it went “out of service” amid intense fighting in the area.

7 min ago

Israel's Netanyahu says war against Hamas will continue with "full force"

From CNN's Tamar Michaelis and Jonny Hallam

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday rejected growing international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying that Israel's battle against Hamas would continue and ruled out a role for the current Palestinian Authority government once the war ends.

"With all our force, with all our might, we’ll continue until the victory," Netanyahu said in a televised speech.

"Hamas lost its grip over the Gaza Strip. It has no safe place to hide... all Hamas members are marked for death. Our forces are hitting them above the ground and our forces are hitting them under the ground," he added.

Responding to questions about whether the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the occupied West Bank, may govern Gaza after the war, Netanyahu said there would be "full security control in Gaza, with the IDF’s ability to enter whenever we want, to kill terrorists who can re-appear."

"I can tell you what will not be - there will not be Hamas. Moreover, there will not be a civilian authority there that educates its children to hate Israel, to kill Israelis, eliminate the state of Israel," he added.

"There will need to be a different thing, but in any case, with our security control."

8 min ago

Hezbollah will keep up the pressure on Israel's northern border, leader says in rare speech

From CNN’s Tamara Qiblawi and Radina Gigova

Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah gave his second speech since the Hamas-Israel war started via video link from an undisclosed location Saturday, in which he addressed the situation in Gaza and clashes on the Lebanon-Israel border.

Nasrallah called the situation unfolding in Gaza "big, exceptional and dangerous in this region and the world,” adding that what will emerge from the death and destruction in Gaza "will be generation after generation of resistance fighters."

“This painful event and these grave crimes are an expression of Israeli revenge. This is the spirit of a vicious revenge that have no moral or humanitarian or legal limits. It expresses the true nature of the entity (Israel),” he said. 

“This isn’t just revenge, it’s not just lashing out. It is aggression with an objective. One of the main objectives is to impose submission, not just Gaza’s people, but also to grind the people of Palestine, Lebanon and the region to submission,” Nasrallah said. 

On clashes at the Israel-Lebanon border: Hezbollah’s strikes on Israeli territory have increased in number and employed more advanced weaponry over the last week of cross-border fire between Israel Defense Forces and the powerful, Iran-backed armed group, Nasrallah said in a speech Saturday.

“In the last week, without a doubt, there was an elevation in resistance activities (on the border). Numerically and in the kinds of weapons that we used,” said Nasrallah.

Hezbollah has in recent days struck deeper into Israeli territory, Nasrallah said, marking an escalation in the month-long flareup, where the fighting has largely stuck to a 4-kilometer (about 2-mile) radius around the border.

He said Hezbollah used self-detonating, explosive-laden drones in an attack on Israeli positions for the first time in the paramilitary group’s history. (The Israeli military has acknowledged Hezbollah's use of an attack drone in at least one of the strikes claimed by the Lebanese armed group.)

Hezbollah has, also for the first time, fired Iran-made Burkan missiles, which have a payload of up to 500 kilograms (about 1,100 pounds), on Israeli positions, Nasrallah said. Hezbollah this week released video showing a large explosion caused by a Burkan missile.

Nasrallah accused Israel of hiding its casualty figures from Hezbollah's attacks on the border.

“The southern front in Lebanon will continue to be a front that applies pressure (on Israel),” he said.

On the US: Nasrallah accused the US of “administering” the Israeli operation in Gaza and chastised it for supporting the continuation of Israel's operation in Gaza.

Nasrallah said “all pressure” to bring about a ceasefire should be directed toward the US. He praised militant actions against US positions in Iraq in recent weeks and said they would only “stop” if the US pushes for a ceasefire in Israel.

Hezbollah's chief described Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria as having created “supporting fronts” for Hamas in Gaza.

CNN reported earlier this month that the US intelligence community believes – for now – that Iran and its proxies are calibrating their response to Israel’s military intervention in Gaza to avoid direct conflict with Israel or the US while still exacting costs on its adversaries. But the US is also keenly aware that Iran does not maintain perfect control of its umbrella of proxies – in particular over Lebanese Hezbollah, the largest and most capable of the various groups. Hezbollah is an ally of Hamas, the group that attacked Israel on October 7, and has long positioned itself as fighting against Israel. US officials are deeply concerned that the group’s internal politics may cause Hezbollah to escalate simmering tensions.

Nasrallah's speech last Friday: In his first public, in-person speech since 2006 — when a monthlong war erupted between Lebanon and Israel — Nasrallah said "all scenarios" are possible on the Lebanon-Israel border, warning Israel against further escalation of its operations there. He also urged for a ceasefire in Gaza, calling it Hezbollah's first priority.

9 min ago

Pro-Palestinian rally in London among several major demonstrations calling for ceasefire

From CNN's Livvy Doherty, Dan Wright, Niamh Kennedy, Radina Gigova, Eve Brennan and Sophie Tanno

A huge pro-Palestinian demonstration took place in London as hundreds of thousands of people marched through the center of the city Saturday, according to a CNN team on the ground.

A spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police told CNN that an estimated 300,000 people attended the rally.

There was heavy police presence in central London’s Hyde Park Corner as protesters chanted “free, free Palestine” and “ceasefire now.” They were also heard chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

Police arrested dozens of counter-protesters in London who attempted to confront those taking part in the rally. The Metropolitan Police said the people were apprehended “to prevent a breach of the peace.”

Police said they had “faced aggression from counter-protesters” who stormed the area “in significant numbers” ahead of what could be the biggest march yet since the Israel-Hamas conflict began about a month ago.

Elsewhere in Europe, thousands of people in Brussels and Paris also attended pro-Palestinian demonstrations Saturday.

Meanwhile, in the US: A group of pro-Palestinian protesters on Saturday gathered near the street where President Joe Biden lives in Delaware to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

The crowd began forming at roughly 11 a.m. ET. Many carried Palestinian flags, and there were large cellophane balloons spelling out “ceasefire now.”

On Friday, about 2,000 people attended a demonstration in New York City, gathering in Columbus Circle before marching to the area around Times Square and eventually to Grand Central, where demonstrations temporarily closed access to the terminal.

CNN's Kevin Liptak contributed reporting to this post.

Heavy fighting near Gaza’s largest hospital has left it in a “catastrophic situation,” with patients and staff trapped inside, ambulances unable to collect the wounded and life-support systems without electricity, health officials and aid agencies are reporting.

Hostilities around the hospital, Gaza’s largest, “have not stopped,” according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, with constant bombardment preventing evacuations and making it too dangerous for ambulance journeys, according to the organization.

A freelance journalist told CNN the situation is dire, with medics working by candlelight, food being rationed, and other resources dwindling.

Three newborn babies died after the hospital went “out of service” amid intense fighting in the area, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which claims the hospital is surrounded on all four sides by Israeli forces and under “complete siege.”

The Israeli army told CNN it is engaged in “ongoing intense fighting” against Hamas in the vicinity of the hospital complex, but denies firing at the northern Gaza medical center and has rejected suggestions the hospital is under siege. Israel has said it is in touch with hospital leaders and has offered assistance with evacuations.

CNN has been unable to confirm whether anyone was able to leave the hospital complex over the past day.

Here are other headlines you should know:

French President Emmanuel Macron called on his people to stand up against "the unbearable resurgence of unbridled antisemitism," in a letter published Saturday night by French newspaper Le Parisien.

More than one thousand antisemitic acts were committed in France in one month, Macron wrote, adding that this number is three times more than the number of hate attacks executed against French Jews all of last year.

Macron emphasized that this in turn has caused the Jewish community to experience "legitimate anguish," saying they are going as far as to erase their names to protect themselves.

Macron went on to reiterate his belief that Israel has the right to defend itself, saying "putting Hamas out of harm's way is a necessity," while simultaneously stressing that "this defense must be accompanied by the resumption of political dialogue and ensure the protection of civilians and hostages in Gaza."

The letter was released on the eve of Sunday's historic march against antisemitism being held in the French capital. Macron addressed the march in his letter saying he sees it "as a reason for hope."

This comes a day after Macron called for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying it is "the only solution" to the war between Israel and Hamas.

At least 126 people were arrested in London on Saturday following a large pro-Palestinian rally and counter-protests, according to London’s Metropolitan Police.

Police intercepted a group of 150 people who were launching fireworks towards the end of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PCS) march that attracted over 300,000 people, Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said in a statement issued Saturday afternoon. 

Arrests were made after some of the fireworks struck officers in the face, the statement read. 

A CNN team on the ground also heard shouts and observed a heavy police presence as a group of far-right protestors tried to storm a war memorial, the Cenotaph, on Armistice Day. 

Large groups of pro-Palestinian supporters had also marched pass the US embassy in London. Similar demonstrations were held in Brussels, where thousands took to the streets.

The English Defense League (EDL) is a far-right group founded by Tommy Robinson who, according to Robinson’s account on X, was at the Cenotaph to pay his respects on Saturday. 

"The extreme violence from the right wing protestors towards the police today was extraordinary and deeply concerning, " Twist wrote.

Nine officers were injured while confronting the violent crowd getting to the Cenotaph while a remembrance service was taking place, Twist explained. Two officers will require hospital treatment after sustaining a fractured elbow and a suspected dislocated hip. 

Several officers are still deployed across central London in case of anymore "outbreaks of disorder," Twist concluded. 

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the violent scenes seen in London on Saturday in a statement posted to social media, saying "all criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law."

The General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza has said operations at the Rafah land crossing will resume Sunday for the departure of foreign passport holders.

It emphasized that only individuals whose names are on the list that was released on November 1 will be permitted to travel through the Rafah crossing.

The Rafah crossing failed to open Friday for foreign nationals wishing to leave Gaza, highlighting once again the frustrations facing diplomats looking to get their nationals out of the strip.

CNN spoke to two diplomatic sources in Egypt about the process – one of them described it as “long, non-transparent and arduous.” 

Hostilities around Al-Shifa Hospital Saturday “have not stopped,” according to Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders.

“The ambulances can no longer move to collect the injured, and non-stop bombardment prevents patients and staff from evacuating,” the organization said in a statement.

A freelance journalist based at the hospital told CNN there were still dozens of bodies at the hospital awaiting burial, but that people feared going outside to bury them. 

Medics inside the hospital are working by candlelight, Sarsour said. Other resources are also getting scarce.

Some background: The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said the hospital was under "complete siege" Saturday, and that a floor of the complex's surgery building was heavily shelled. The ministry says three newborn babies died at the hospital after it "went out of service" due to heavy damage.

Israel’s army has said there is “ongoing intense fighting” around the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital, but denied claims it was firing at or laying siege to the complex.

It has also said it is in touch with the hospital director and willing to help people leave. Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Saturday evening that the hospital staff has requested help evacuating babies from the pediatric department, and that the IDF "will provide the assistance needed" Sunday.

CNN has been unable to confirm whether anyone was able to leave the hospital complex over the course of the day.

The Israeli military has said it will help evacuate babies from the paediatric unit of Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital tomorrow. 

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said in a press briefing on Saturday: “The staff of the Shifa Hospital has requested that tomorrow we will help the babies in the pediatric department get to a safer hospital. We will provide the assistance needed.” 

Earlier on Saturday, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza said three newborn babies had died at the hospital after it went “out of service” amid intense fighting in the area.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday rejected growing international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying that Israel's battle against Hamas would continue and ruled out a role for the current Palestinian Authority government once the war ends.

"With all our force, with all our might, we’ll continue until the victory," Netanyahu said in a televised speech.

Responding to questions about whether the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the occupied West Bank, may govern Gaza after the war, Netanyahu said there would be "full security control in Gaza, with the IDF’s ability to enter whenever we want, to kill terrorists who can re-appear."

"I can tell you what will not be - there will not be Hamas. Moreover, there will not be a civilian authority there that educates its children to hate Israel, to kill Israelis, eliminate the state of Israel," he added.

"There will need to be a different thing, but in any case, with our security control."

Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah gave his second speech since the Hamas-Israel war started via video link from an undisclosed location Saturday, in which he addressed the situation in Gaza and clashes on the Lebanon-Israel border.

Nasrallah called the situation unfolding in Gaza "big, exceptional and dangerous in this region and the world,” adding that what will emerge from the death and destruction in Gaza "will be generation after generation of resistance fighters."

“This painful event and these grave crimes are an expression of Israeli revenge. This is the spirit of a vicious revenge that have no moral or humanitarian or legal limits. It expresses the true nature of the entity (Israel),” he said. 

On clashes at the Israel-Lebanon border: Hezbollah’s strikes on Israeli territory have increased in number and employed more advanced weaponry over the last week of cross-border fire between Israel Defense Forces and the powerful, Iran-backed armed group, Nasrallah said in a speech Saturday.

Hezbollah has in recent days struck deeper into Israeli territory, Nasrallah said, marking an escalation in the month-long flareup, where the fighting has largely stuck to a 4-kilometer (about 2-mile) radius around the border.

He said Hezbollah used self-detonating, explosive-laden drones in an attack on Israeli positions for the first time in the paramilitary group’s history. (The Israeli military has acknowledged Hezbollah's use of an attack drone in at least one of the strikes claimed by the Lebanese armed group.)

Hezbollah has, also for the first time, fired Iran-made Burkan missiles, which have a payload of up to 500 kilograms (about 1,100 pounds), on Israeli positions, Nasrallah said. Hezbollah this week released video showing a large explosion caused by a Burkan missile.

Nasrallah accused Israel of hiding its casualty figures from Hezbollah's attacks on the border.

On the US: Nasrallah accused the US of “administering” the Israeli operation in Gaza and chastised it for supporting the continuation of Israel's operation in Gaza.

Nasrallah said “all pressure” to bring about a ceasefire should be directed toward the US. He praised militant actions against US positions in Iraq in recent weeks and said they would only “stop” if the US pushes for a ceasefire in Israel.

Hezbollah's chief described Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria as having created “supporting fronts” for Hamas in Gaza.

CNN reported earlier this month that the US intelligence community believes – for now – that Iran and its proxies are calibrating their response to Israel’s military intervention in Gaza to avoid direct conflict with Israel or the US while still exacting costs on its adversaries. But the US is also keenly aware that Iran does not maintain perfect control of its umbrella of proxies – in particular over Lebanese Hezbollah, the largest and most capable of the various groups. Hezbollah is an ally of Hamas, the group that attacked Israel on October 7, and has long positioned itself as fighting against Israel. US officials are deeply concerned that the group’s internal politics may cause Hezbollah to escalate simmering tensions.

Nasrallah's speech last Friday: In his first public, in-person speech since 2006 — when a monthlong war erupted between Lebanon and Israel — Nasrallah said "all scenarios" are possible on the Lebanon-Israel border, warning Israel against further escalation of its operations there. He also urged for a ceasefire in Gaza, calling it Hezbollah's first priority.

A huge pro-Palestinian demonstration took place in London as hundreds of thousands of people marched through the center of the city Saturday, according to a CNN team on the ground.

A spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police told CNN that an estimated 300,000 people attended the rally.

There was heavy police presence in central London’s Hyde Park Corner as protesters chanted “free, free Palestine” and “ceasefire now.” They were also heard chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

Police arrested dozens of counter-protesters in London who attempted to confront those taking part in the rally. The Metropolitan Police said the people were apprehended “to prevent a breach of the peace.”

Police said they had “faced aggression from counter-protesters” who stormed the area “in significant numbers” ahead of what could be the biggest march yet since the Israel-Hamas conflict began about a month ago.

Elsewhere in Europe, thousands of people in Brussels and Paris also attended pro-Palestinian demonstrations Saturday.

Meanwhile, in the US: A group of pro-Palestinian protesters on Saturday gathered near the street where President Joe Biden lives in Delaware to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

The crowd began forming at roughly 11 a.m. ET. Many carried Palestinian flags, and there were large cellophane balloons spelling out “ceasefire now.”

On Friday, about 2,000 people attended a demonstration in New York City, gathering in Columbus Circle before marching to the area around Times Square and eventually to Grand Central, where demonstrations temporarily closed access to the terminal.

CNN's Kevin Liptak contributed reporting to this post.