'Genocide is unfolding in our names': Jewish protest in NYC urging Gaza truce sees mass arrests

Hundreds of people have been arrested when police broke up a large demonstration of mostly Jewish New Yorkers who had taken over the main hall of Grand Central station in protest of Israel's indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza, police and organisers said.

The New York Police Department said at least 200 people had been arrested on Friday, while protest organisers put the number at more than 300 anti-Zionism protesters.

Photos from the scene showed long lines of young people standing in handcuffs and wearing black sweatshirts with the words "Not In Our Name" and "Cease Fire Now" printed in white.

The massive sit-in was called by the group Jewish Voice for Peace-New York City, which said thousands of its members had attended the protest, blocking the main concourse of the city's central rail station.

Pictures showed the terminal packed with protesters who held up banners reading "Palestinians should be free" and "Mourn the dead, fight like hell for the living."

Organisers called the peaceful sit-in "the largest civil disobedience New York City has seen in 20 years."

'Lives of Palestinians and Israelis are intertwined'

Rabbis launched the event by lighting Shabbat candles and reciting the Jewish prayer for the dead, known as the kaddish.

"While Shabbat is typically a day of rest, we cannot afford to rest while genocide is unfolding in our names," said Rabbi May Ye, in a statement released by organizers.

"The lives of Palestinians and Israelis are intertwined, and safety can only come from justice, equality, and freedom for all," the rabbi said.

The conflict escalated dramatically after Hamas' military wing carried out an unprecedented raid on Israel on October 7 by firing thousands of rockets and sending hundreds of fighters into Israeli towns and settlements.

Israel responded with an uninterrupted campaign of air and artillery strikes on the besieged enclave, killing at least 7,326 Palestinians, including more than 3,000 children. About 1,400 Israelis were killed in Hamas action.

Gaza's 2.3 million residents are grappling with shortages of food, water, and medicine due to Israel's massive air bombardment and total blockade of the enclave.

On Friday, Israel dramatically ramped up its bombardment after knocking out internet and communication in besieged Gaza, largely cutting off the tiny Palestinian enclave's population from contact with each other and the outside world.

"This information blackout risks providing cover for mass atrocities and contributing to impunity for human rights violations," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.