Waterloo Region residents rally, fear for family amid Israel-Gaza war

More than 100 people gather at rally organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement in Waterloo Town Square on Oct. 10, 2023. (Jeff Pickel/CTV Kitchener)

The ripple effects of the Israel-Gaza war are being felt in Waterloo Region.

On Tuesday afternoon, people rallied in support of Palestine in Uptown Waterloo. Meanwhile a community gathering in solidarity with Israel was held at Beth Jacob Synagogue in Tuesday evening.

The conflict is now in its fourth day with Israeli warplanes hammering the Gaza strip in retaliation for the deadly weekend attack by Hamas militants.

The war, which has already claimed at least 1,900 lives on both sides, is only expected to escalate.

On Saturday morning, Hamas militants stormed into Israel, killing hundreds of residents in homes and streets near the Gaza border and bringing gun battles to Israeli towns for the first time in decades. Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza hold about 150 soldiers and civilians hostage, according to Israel.

The attack that Hamas said was retribution for worsening Palestinian suffering under Israeli occupation has fired Israel's determination to crush the group's hold in Gaza -- hiking risks of an expanded regional conflict and a humanitarian crisis.

KITCHENER RESIDENT FEARS FOR FAMILY

Kitchener resident Simon Adler has been living in fear for days.

His daughter, grandchildren and brother live outside Tel Aviv, near the centre of the conflict. Posters of people missing in the wake of Saturday’s attack are plastered across his social media.

“This is the son of our very closest friend,” he said holding up his phone.

He’s worried the faces of his family could appear on the next poster.

“Once the sirens go off that a rocket is headed their way, they have a minute and a half to get to their bomb shelter,” he said.

Locally, he says his connection to the situation is not unique.

“Every Jewish person in Kitchener is only four or five, maybe six steps away from somebody personally affected by this,” Adler said.

The Beth Jacob Synagogue in Kitchener, which Adler is on the executive board for, is starting to think of ways to help. On Tuesday evening, the synagogue held a prayer service and community gathering.

"Almost indescribable, horrible events took place over this weekend," Adler said. "The community is hurting. The community needs a way of expressing that hurt, and we put this together to start the process of dealing with that hurt."

A number of speakers, including Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, spoke in solidarity with Israel.

"Bringing all members of our community together to mourn the senseless and unbelievable terrorist attack, killing hundreds of victims in Israel this past weekend, including at least two Canadians," said Vrbanovic.

RALLY IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIANS IN GAZA

On Tuesday afternoon, more than 100 people gathered at a rally organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement in Uptown Waterloo, drawing attention to the suffering happening in Gaza.

“We’re here to reaffirm our people’s struggle against colonialism, we’re here to reaffirm our demands for liberation,” said Shatha Mahmoud with the Palestinian Youth Movement.

“The people of Gaza have been living in an open air prison for 16 years.”

Mahmoud said the current conflict in the region is part of a much longer cycle of violence.

“I think we need to situate the root cause of violence," said Mahmoud. "I think we need to talk about where did it start and the fact that this past 48 hours is not the beginning of it. I think the media like to pick it up when Palestinians start to resist, but if we want to end the violence, we need to end the 75-year colonial occupation of Palestine and we need to end the brutal blockade of Gaza.

"It's not just in Gaza. It's not just in the west bank, it's all over and it's something that needs to end. We've been calling on the international community for so long, and it's so sad that until people are slaughtered that people actually pay attention."

Some similar rallies in Canada were met with disorder, but aside from a few people heckling the speakers, the Waterloo event was peaceful and orderly.

LOCAL HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS

The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which has an office in Kitchener, is organizing aid to Gaza. More than 2 million people live in the tiny, sealed-off territory, which is now being bombarded by Israel.

“Unfortunately, we've been here before and we have a long track record of responding to humanitarian needs, particularly in Gaza, because it is such a vulnerable area,” MCC Disaster Response Director Bruce Guenther said.

The MCC has eight staff members working in East Jerusalem.

“We're preparing a response primarily of food, and other household items like bedding for an immediate response to the current escalation of violence,” Guenther said.

With files from The Associated Press.