UAE, Israel peace deal
UAE, Israel peace dealIBT Creative

Hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated in the West Bank and Gaza against the United States' sponsored normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Islamic Jihad Movement and other Palestinian factions organised the demonstration in Gaza city. Leaders of the factions, including the Hamas movement, joined the protest on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The crowds went out from al-Omari main mosque in Gaza city, waving flags and chanting slogans against the UAE. They marched the main street and gathered at Palestine square in the city's downtown.

Protests against UAE

hamas palestine
A Palestinian girl holds a Hamas flag behind a fence during a rally marking the 29th anniversary of the founding of the Hamas movement, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip December 11, 2016Reuters

They carried banners writing "Palestine is not for sale" "No for normalization and no for those who lead normalization with the occupation" and "normalization is a knife in the back of the Palestinian people."

Member of the Islamic Jihad Movement's political bureau Khaled Al-Batsh renewed the Palestinian people's condemnation and rejection of the agreement, calling on the UAE to withdraw its recognition of Israel immediately.

Hamas movement leader Mushir al-Masri addressed during the demonstration on behalf of the other factions' leaders that the Palestinian people described the declaration of the agreement as "a black day for our people and cause."

"The agreement is a total betrayal of the Palestinian cause and an unpardonable diplomatic action that no one forgives. It is a stab in the back of the Palestinians and gives free services to the occupation," al-Masri said.

Protests also took place in some West Bank cities.

(With IANS inputs)