Hundreds of women gathered in Istanbul on Monday, forming a human chain to express solidarity with Palestinian women and children killed in the war in Gaza.

The demonstration — where participants held hands or stood shoulder to shoulder — was organized by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party.

Women could be seen waving the Palestinian and Turkish flags and wearing the traditional keffiyeh scarf.

Tugba Isik Ercan, an MP who spoke at the protest, said: "This is a matter of humanity. Today, from Turkey, we say one thing to the entire world: peace is possible through women."

The protest came on the eve of the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 2023 attacks.

That assault, carried out by Hamas-led militants and killing some 1,200 people, abducting 251, triggered Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza, which has since claimed more than 67,000 lives, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Similar protests took place simultaneously in Ankara and other cities across Turkey.