'Stop killing our children': Palestine, Israel women rally against violence

Hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli women have rallied in occupied Jerusalem and the Dead Sea in the occupied West Bank, calling for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"We want peace," chanted the demonstrators on Wednesday, many dressed in white and holding placards that read "Stop killing our children".

"Our message is that we want our kids to be alive rather than dead," Huda Abu Arqoub, a Palestinian activist and director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace NGO, told the AFP news agency as participants initially rallied in occupied Jerusalem.

"This is the first time that we have a real partnership between Israeli and Palestinian women on an equal level."

The protesters later headed to the Dead Sea in the occupied West Bank where they were joined by more demonstrators, an AFP correspondent reported.

The Alliance for Middle East Peace represents two women-led associations — Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun — that organised Wednesday's rally.

"I feel very happy to be here and to feel that we, the Palestinian women, are not alone, and there are many women who want to end the killings," said Yasmeen Soud, a Palestinian from Bethlehem.

Checkpoint difficulties

Pascale Chen, a coordinator from Israel-based Women Wage Peace, said they wanted the conflict to be brought to an end through talks.

"The objective is to issue a joint call from mothers, Israeli and Palestinian, to our two leaderships asking them to return to the negotiating table to finally arrive at a diplomatic accord," Chen said.

Participants said many Palestinian women were unable to obtain authorisation for entering occupied Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank to attend Wednesday's demonstration.

"Even today, we had difficulties at the checkpoint to come here," said Rim Hajajri, president of Women of the Sun.

Persistent violence

Persistent violence linked to Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands, which has escalated since last year, and an unwillingness to return to the negotiating table has made peace appear more elusive than ever.

At least 243 Palestinians and 32 Israelis have been killed in the conflict so far this year.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognised by the international community.

In besieged Gaza, the 2.3 million residents live under a crippling Israeli blockade, from land, sea and air, that critics say amounts to collective punishment.

Palestine sees East Jerusalem, along with Gaza, as part of the country with East Jerusalem as the capital.

Almost 700,000 illegal Israeli settlers live in over 130 settlements dotting the occupied West Bank alongside nearly three million Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation.