Thousands of Australians rallied across the country, demanding an end to genocide in Gaza and sanctions against Israel for its atrocities in the Palestinian enclave, which is now facing Israel-induced starvation and famine.

The mass rallies come as relations between Israel and Australia have been strained following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state on August 11.

More than 40 protests took place across Australia on Sunday, Palestine Action Group said, including large turnouts in state capitals Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. The group said some 350,000 people attended the rallies nationwide, including about 50,000 in Brisbane. But the police estimated that only 10,000 people turned up in Brisbane. They did not have estimates for crowd sizes in Sydney and Melbourne.

In Sydney, organiser Josh Lees said Australians were out in force to “demand an end to this genocide in Gaza and to demand that our government sanction Israel” as rallygoers, many with Palestinian flags, chanted “Free, free Palestine”.

The protests follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week stepping up personal attacks on his Australian counterpart over his government’s decision to recognise the Palestinian state.

Albanese’s Labor government’s move came after France, the United Kingdom, and Canada announced plans to recognise the Palestinian state as part of the so-called two-state solution. However, Israel has opposed the formation of a sovereign Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel.

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The announcement came on August 11, days after tens of thousands of people marched across Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge, calling for peace and aid deliveries to Gaza, which has fallen into famine due to the Israeli blockade of aid delivery.

Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in its 22-month-long offensive that has faced global condemnation for wartime abuses. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes.