Thousands protest at Israel's assault on Gaza

By Suleiman al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan deployed riot police to disperse protesters planning to march on the Israeli embassy in Amman on Friday, and tens of thousands rallied across the nation and in Egypt to protest against Israel's offensive in Gaza.

Demonstrators near the embassy in Amman's Rabia district hurled stones at the police, who were backed by armored personnel carriers firing teargas, and chanted slogans demanding Jordan cut its diplomatic ties with Israel.

"Expel the ambassador. No Zionist embassy on Jordanian land," they chanted.

Protesters also demanded the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Egypt, which also has diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

Some 1,500 demonstrators outside the Rafae mosque in the Egyptian coastal city of El Arish threw stones at police, injuring three, witnesses said.

Thousands took to the streets in other Egyptian cities after Friday prayers, demanding Egypt open its border with Gaza to help supply food and medicine. Police broke up most of the protests.

At least 5,000 demonstrators in downtown Alexandria, on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, waved Palestinian flags and shouted slogans against Israel and in support of Hamas, the Islamic movement that controls Gaza.

"We are very angry about the dead people, the women, and the children," said Hassan Ismail, 40. "We are asking the Egyptian government to open the Rafah border crossing and we are asking that food and supplies as well as weapons be sent to Hamas."

Medics in Gaza say the Palestinian death toll has topped 780. Ten soldiers have been killed in Israel's campaign to crush Hamas forces and stop cross-border rocket fire -- which has killed three Israeli civilians since the offensive began.

WEST BANK PROTESTS

Hundreds of mosques in Jordan held prayers for those killed, and protesters urged a jihad (holy struggle) in marches in Amman and in cities and refugee camps across the kingdom.

"O Martyrs, your blood will not go in vain," angry youths carrying a large Palestinian flag shouted as others burned U.S. and Israeli flags.

Most of Jordan's 5 million citizens are of Palestinian origin, they or their parents having been expelled or fled to Jordan in the fighting that accompanied the creation of Israel in 1948.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, governed by Hamas's rival Fatah movement under President Mahmoud Abbas, also protested, but the rallies were short and relatively muted.

Israeli forces and Abbas's police were on high alert, although there were only minor clashes around weekly prayers.