KARACHI: Thousands of Shiite Muslims turned a religious procession into an anti-Israel protest on Wednesday, burning the Israeli and US flags over the Jewish state's offensive in the Gaza Strip, witnesses said.

The Muslims clad in black for mourning were participating in Ashura marches to commemorate the death of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein at Karbala in modern-day Iraq in 680 AD.

But the procession quickly turned into a demonstration against Israel and the United States, with participants chanting "Death to Israel, death to America".

Around 500 members of a Shiite student group participated in the procession, shouting: "We are ready to die fighting against the greatest Satan (Israel)."

"If our leaders are cowardly enough to remain tight-lipped on the atrocities against Palestinians, then we are ready to fight for their cause in Gaza," said Shamsul Hasan, a leader of the student organisation.

There have been near-daily protests in Pakistan against Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip, which so far has killed at least 680 Palestinians.

Pakistan has called for an immediate end to Israel's air and ground operations, saying that the strikes are counterproductive and violate the UN charter.


- AFP/so