Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, assistant secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, urged global Muslim solidarity on the Palestine issue and vowed his organization would stand with Palestinians until they achieve freedom.

Speaking at a protest rally organized by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka metropolitan north-south units on Friday near the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Rafiqul condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and denounced the interception of flotilla.

He said the group’s struggle and protests would continue until Palestine gains independence, calling the Israeli operations “genocidal” and accusing powerful countries of enabling the violence by supplying arms and political support to Israel.

Rafiqul also highlighted reports that hundreds of activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, were detained after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla.

He urged the United Nations and the international community to rein in Israel, demand the immediate release of detained aid workers and activists and recognize the occupied territories as an independent Palestine.

Praising recent statements from Bangladeshi government condemning the interceptions, he said Muslim solidarity and sustained protest would persist “as long as Palestine is not free.”

The rally was chaired by Muhammad Selim Uddin, Ameer of Jamaat’s Dhaka North unit, and attended by central and metropolitan party leaders and activists.