The global Palestine solidarity movement has reached unprecedented levels of influence, with growing public anger over Israel's genocide in Gaza putting governments under mounting pressure to translate support for Palestinian rights into meaningful political action.
Speaking exclusively to The New Arab, Global Alliance for Palestine (GAFP) secretary-general Anas Altikriti said the movement was gaining momentum worldwide, as hundreds of organisations mobilised across more than 80 countries to mark three years of Israel's war on Gaza.
"This momentum around the world that we've seen build and reach a level was never ever expected – totally unprecedented," he said.
But Altikriti warned that growing international recognition of Palestinian statehood would remain "superficial" unless governments adopted policies to hold Israel accountable for its actions.
"We saw how in late 2025, a catalogue of countries recognised the state of Palestine, how there were Palestinian embassies opened throughout the world – but we insisted then and we insist now that all of this is superficial if not followed with actual policies that first of all hold Israel to account and those who took part in the war crime that we saw and we witnessed."
His comments follow a three-day global solidarity campaign held from 9 to 11 October, which brought together pro-Palestine organisations and campaigners for demonstrations, vigils, cultural events and community gatherings.
The coordinated actions demanded an end to Israel's genocide in Gaza, its decades-long occupation, ongoing settler violence and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as accountability for governments accused of enabling Israeli war crimes.
Altikriti said the mobilisation reflected growing frustration not only with Israel's military offensives in Gaza, Lebanon and elsewhere, but also with the international community's failure to stop them.
"People are angry beyond what we've known in terms of the crimes committed incessantly and with impunity by Israel and the Israeli government. But also the silence and the tacit complicity of the entire world and here in the UK," he told TNA.
He also urged Britain's government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham to match its changing rhetoric on Israel and Palestinian rights with concrete policies.
"And whilst this new government under Andy Burnham has adopted a new narrative in regards with Israel and the Palestinian rights, we still need to see actual policies being put in place to reflect that kind of anger and frustration that the streets, not only of the UK, but the entire world, feel."
'Of course, we're vilifying Israel'
The growing international movement has also faced criticism from pro-Israel voices, including Israel's Foreign Ministry, which condemned GAFP's global campaign and highlighted a Fox News report describing the activism as "the protest playbook to vilify Israel".
Asked about the Israeli government's criticism, Altikriti responded defiantly.
"Of course, we're vilifying Israel," he said. “Israel is an occupying terrorist state. We made that proclamation time and time and time again, not just myself, not just the Global Alliance of Palestine, but countless Israelis who have themselves seen the poison that Israel creates, not only in Palestine, but throughout the entire world.”
Altikriti argued that Israel's own policies, rather than the activities of solidarity campaigners, were responsible for the growing international anger towards the country.
“The vilification has actually come from Israeli policies itself. Israel has created this. Israel has created the momentum that we see around the world. The anger that people feel, the questioning of American people as to why their tax dollars are being shipped to Israel for them to then kill Palestinian children.”
His comments come as pro-Palestine campaigners seek to sustain international pressure on governments over their diplomatic, military and economic ties with Israel.
Global solidarity reaches new heights
GAFP hailed its three-day mobilisation as a major success, saying it demonstrated the growing reach and influence of the international Palestine solidarity movement.
“Hundreds of organisations and campaigns in over 80 countries around the world do all sorts of activities, whether there are demos, marches, vigils, stands, flag waving or balloon settings,” Altikriti told TNA.
“We count this as a tremendous success, not only for ourselves, the Global Alliance for Palestine, but also all the activist groups and all the campaigns that took part in this, whether under our umbrella or whether independently, we regard this as being an inspiration from the people of Gaza.”
The campaign culminated in a Global Day of Action on Saturday, 10 October, when tens of thousands of pro-Palestine protesters marched through central London.
GAFP estimates that more than 250,000 people joined coordinated actions organised by established groups, including the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB), Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Stop the War Coalition (STWC), Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Friends of Al-Aqsa (FoA).
The mobilisation came as Palestinians marked three years since Israel launched its devastating military assault on Gaza in October 2023.
More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since then.
Despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreed in October 2025, which envisaged the eventual reconstruction of the devastated territory, little progress has been made towards implementing the agreement.
At least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the so-called ceasefire took effect.