Sydneysiders from Palestine and Lebanon gathered for a candlelight vigil to remember the family they've lost, as Israel's war in Gaza nears its seventh month.Â
"After six and a half months of genocide, 195 days of terror on Palestine and Lebanon, I often find myself at a loss for words," activist Jana Fayyad told the crowd gathered outside the Sydney Town Hall on Friday.
Palestine and Lebanon have a long history of shared opposition to Israel.
Some 73 civilians have been killed by drone strikes aimed at the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which Australia lists as a terrorist organisation, since Israel began its strikes in Gaza in late October.
Sydney's Palestine Action Group has held regular vigils for Palestine since, but Friday's gathering in the CBD is the first to centre the victims of Israeli bombing in Lebanon.
The organisers also took aim at the federal government and demanded stronger action against Israel and its campaign.
"We're almost seven months on, and the Australian government is still in its enabling stance," Ms Fayyad told AAP.
Ms Fayyad's partner has lost about 70 relatives to the invasion.
"It still continues to show support for the genocidal tactics of Israel, and so we're here to raise awareness on that."
The rally coincides with increased tensions between Israel and Iran sparked by a presumed Israeli air strike on April 1 that destroyed a building in Iran's embassy compound in Damascus and killed several Iranian officers.
In response, Iran on April 14 launched missiles toward Israel. Almost all were shot down.
On Friday, Israel launched a retaliatory strike on Iran, which has so far caused little damage.
Iran supports multiple militia groups opposed to Israel, including Hezbollah and the Gaza-based Hamas, which governs the territory.
On October 7, Hamas - designated a terrorist group by Australia - launched an attack on Israel that killed 1200 people and led another 200 to be taken hostage.
Israel later launched a ground offensive and bombing campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 33,000 people and displaced another 1.7 million, according to the local health ministry.