Pro-Palestinian rally marches through downtown Ottawa on Sunday

Calls for a ceasefire A pro-Palestinian rally was held in Ottawa for a fifth consecutive weekend, calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

A large crowd rallied on Parliament Hill and marched through the streets of downtown Ottawa on Sunday, continuing to call on the federal government to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

"At this point, it's got to be stopped," said one participant.

The pro-Palestinian rally in Ottawa was one of several events held across Canada this weekend, organized by the group "Ceasefire Now."

"Ceasefire now! End the siege of Gaza! Freedom for Palestine," the group said on its website.

"Canadians of all stripes will come together this Sunday to demand that Canada calls for a ceasefire," said a media release from the group Ottawa Marches for Palestine.

People attending the rally condemned the targeting of innocent civilians.

"We're going to keep coming here and denouncing this until we have from our government a ceasefire," said Radi Shahrouri of the Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians. "A simple ceasefire."

Osama Saadeh said it was important to attend the rally, showing support for his friends and relatives living in Gaza.

"They can't find food, they can't find water, they're struggling on a daily basis," Saadeh said.

This is the fifth straight weekend of massive pro-Palestinian marches in Ottawa since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Those taking part in Sunday's rally say they'll do what it takes to put an end to the crisis.

"This is our stance for humanity," Ismaeel Abushaban said. "We want to stop children getting killed and our families being affected. We're going to be out here as long as we need to be."

Ottawa police warned the public that there would be traffic disruptions in the downtown core and ByWard Market area Sunday afternoon as the rally marched through the area.

The group "Ceasefire Now" says it has the endorsement of several organizations, including the Arab Palestine Association of Ontario, Canada for Palestine, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Independent Jewish Voices Canada, National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Unifor, the United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel, and the United Church of Canada.

The Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants carried out a surprise attack, killing more than 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages. In response, Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes and Hamas has continued to fire rockets.

The Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory has said more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in the airstrikes.

With files from CP24 and the Canadian Press