Protestors demonstrate in downtown square

Protestors chant during a Jan. 16 rally while cars honk as they pass by the T.B. Butler Fountain Plaza in downtown Tyler. The protestors made signs to demonstrate against the war in Israel. The conflict ended with a cease fire Wednesday. (Photo by Allen Arrick)

About 30 people gathered at the T.B. Butler Fountain Plaza Jan. 16 to protest the war in Gaza.

Amid chants of “end the war” and honks from cars, protestors held signs asking for peace between the two warring factions.

University student Rana Khalifa, who organized the rally via Facebook, was unavailable for comment.

Her note on the social networking Web site, said the rally was to protest the inhumane war.

As you all know the war in Gaza is getting worse and worse. Innocent lives are dying on both sides of the line. Not only is this inhumane but just flat out wrong, Khalifa wrote. This rally is open to everybody who is against the killing of innocent lives.

The protestors stood in the cold for nearly two hours amid lunchtime traffic on the square in downtown Tyler.

Israeli military forces began its offensive in Gaza on Dec. 27 after the six-month-long cease-fire ended in December, according to a BBC report.

Israel says its aim is to end the rocket attacks by Hamas-linked militants, the BBC reported.

Hamas Heath Department officials said more than 1,300 people were killed by air strikes in the Gaza strip, according to the Jerusalem Post, but Israeli officials dispute that number.

A cease-fire went into effect Jan. 18, two days after the protest rally in Tyler, but Hamas continued to fire rockets into Israel, prompting an air strike from the Israeli air force, CNN reported.

On Wednesday, Israel withdrew from Gaza, ending the violence, the BBC reported.

By Allen Arrick Editor in Chief