The March to Palestine Platform and the Now Over Organization have launched an indefinite vigil outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara to denounce Israel’s latest plan to fully occupy Gaza.

The protest, which began on Thursday, is aimed at exposing what activists describe as an imminent genocidal campaign by the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people. Participants are calling on all people of conscience to unite, stand with Gaza, and confront the occupation’s escalating crimes.

Speaking on behalf of the organizing groups, activist Yusuf Şanlı declared: “It is August 21, 2025, and Gaza faces complete occupation today or tomorrow. The Zionist regime is preparing to unleash a genocide unlike any in history. As the people of Turkey and Ankara, we have begun this vigil to stand with Gaza. We invite everyone whose heart beats for Gaza to join us.”

For nearly two years, Gaza has endured an unrelenting campaign of siege and bombardment by Israel, which has claimed the lives of more than 61,000 Palestinians and left the enclave on the brink of total collapse. Israel’s new plan to impose full military occupation over Gaza, activists warn, threatens to plunge the strip into an even deeper humanitarian disaster, intensifying starvation, displacement, and mass killings.

The vigil in Ankara reflects a wider movement of solidarity actions across Türkiye, where civil society, NGOs, and ordinary citizens are demanding an end to Israeli occupation and urging the international community to act decisively to halt the genocide.

Organizers emphasized that the vigil will not end until real steps are taken to protect Palestinians and hold Israel accountable for its crimes.

“The people of Gaza are not alone,” Şanlı affirmed. “We will stand here and raise our voices until the world hears the cries of Palestine.”

This latest protest underscores Türkiye’s growing role as a center of pro-Palestinian activism, where public outrage against Israeli atrocities continues to mount in the face of global inaction. (ILKHA)