A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues to hold as Egyptian mediators try to maintain the relative calm that follows Israel’s brutal 11-day assault on the Gaza Strip, which killed at least 248 Palestinians, including 66 children. But tensions in the region remained high over the weekend as Israeli forces and settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem multiple times since Friday, with local outlets reporting attacks on Palestinian worshipers. Gazans have begun to clean up the wreckage as they surveyed the devastating aftermath of the Israeli bombardment.

Mahmoud Mahdy: “We are looking at our memories, the houses, the apartments. We lost everything we own, from furniture to all of our memories and childhood memories. Everything is destroyed.”

The U.N. said it is launching an aid appeal for the Gaza Strip, where fears are mounting COVID-19 could further spike after residents were forced to flee their homes and shelter together from the bombing. The U.S. has said it would contribute to helping rebuild Gaza, while refusing to condemn the death and destruction wrought by Israel.

Meanwhile, massive protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people took place around the globe again this weekend, including here in the U.S. An estimated 180,000 people took part in a London march. This is a demonstrator speaking from a protest in Paris.

Nesrine Akhres: “France has, for example, advantageous agreements with the Israeli state at the import level. And what is important is that all countries who don’t respect human rights should be sanctioned, as any country would be when they don’t respect human rights. And today what is incomprehensible is that Israel still benefits from total impunity.”