Havana, October 24 (RHC)-- Hundreds of young people gathered Monday at an event in Cuba to demand an end to the Israeli army's bombing of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

At the Cuba Pavilion in Havana, young people of various nationalities, including Palestinians, joined their voices to sing, recite poems and advocate for peace and dialogue in the region.  The leader of the Union of Young Communists (UJC), Aylín Álvarez, present at the event, said that "we young Cubans raise our voices to condemn the bombings in Gaza and denounce the terrible genocide that is taking place in that territory. We admire the heroic resistance of the Palestinian people and defend their right to peace".

Also present were young Palestinians studying on the island.  Razan Maleh, a 26-year-old Palestinian who is in her final year of medical school at a Cuban university, said that actions like these are vital to make visible the reality of what is happening in her country.  "We feel that our voices reach more people and that makes us stronger," she said.

For his part, Alaa Saadeh, also a student in Cuba, thanked the Cuban youth for their support. "Just as we have always told Cuba that it is not alone, today our comrades on the island are doing the same for us."

For his part, Saadeh, a native of the West Bank, said he came to call for an end to the bombings against his "compatriots and brothers" in the Middle East.

The Palestinian ambassador to Cuba, Akram Samhan, was also present at the event. He called for "no more blood to be shed in the Middle East, neither Palestinian nor Israeli". "We are going to ask the world to support us, that there be a just and true solution for the Palestinian cause," the ambassador noted.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people by condemning "the genocide carried out by Israel." He said it is "a shame for humanity that must stop."

The recent escalation between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7. Since then, Israeli forces have relentlessly shelled the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed, including 2,360 children.