Pakistan, Oct. 12 -- Tens of thousands of people across Australia and Europe rallied this weekend in support of Palestine as a Gaza ceasefire entered its second day, sparking cautious optimism among demonstrators. In Sydney, an estimated 30,000 protesters gathered in the city's business district after authorities blocked an earlier plan to hold the rally at the Sydney Opera House. Similar demonstrations were held in Melbourne and 25 other Australian cities, where participants called for a permanent end to Israel's military operations in Gaza.

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The protests coincided with Israel's partial troop withdrawal from Gaza under a US-brokered truce aimed at halting months of violen...