‘We want a cease-fire’: Nebraskans reflect on one year of Israel-Hamas war

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – As the Israel-Hamas war drags on, Lincoln communities are mourning the lives lost and hoping for peace.

A pro-Palestine protest broke out in Lincoln on Monday, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terror attack on Israel.

Protesters waved the Palestinian flag and chanted, “free Palestine.”

“As a human, we should stand with humanity,” said Aurang Zeb, a protester. “Doesn’t matter what party, what race, what religion you belong to; you should stand with humanity.”

The protesters called for an end to the killing in Gaza.

“We want a cease-fire now, so stop killing humans,” Zeb said. “I know they are Muslim, they are Christian, but they are human.”

Also on Monday, memorials around the world honored the people who were killed in Israel.

Ari Kohen, the director of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Judaic Studies, said this war has made a big impact on the Jewish community in Nebraska.

“There’s been a terrible loss of life,” Kohen said. “And one would hope that we don’t have to get to these kinds of horrors in order for people to learn something. At the same time, since they unfortunately have occurred over the past year, it’s imperative that we learn something because we cannot keep doing this.”

Both Kohen and Zeb agree that moving forward, a cease-fire is necessary.

“Stop killing innocent people, and then talk,” Zeb said. “If you don’t stop, it’s not going to happen.”

Kohen believes world leaders need to sit down and come to a resolution.

“It’s crucial that we find a way that the bombings are brought to an end, missile attacks, rocket attacks, all of these things,” he said. “They simply can’t go on indefinitely. It’s no way for anyone to have a life.”