Over 50 detained during pro-Palestine protest at Jantar Mantar

Police on Friday briefly detained over 50 students and civil society members who gathered at Jantar Mantar for a pro-Palestine protest, police said.

Demonstrators had arrived in different batches at Jantar Mantar and were subsequently detained, a senior police officer said.

"Since the protesters did not have permission, they were detained. They were taken to different police stations of Delhi," said a police officer.

The demonstrators raised "Free Palestine" slogans, demanding immediate ceasefire between the two countries which have been locked in conflict since Hamas' attack on Israel on 7 October . Since then thousands have been killed by Israel's retaliatory strikes.

There has been mounting global concerns over the plight of civilians in Gaza in view of Israel's punitive air strikes.

The demonstrators tried to march towards Jantar Mantar, raising slogans in favour of Palestine. When the protesters reached Jantar Mantar, policemen along with paramilitary forces pushed them into police buses.

"This protest is just about showing solidarity with Palestinians," a protester shouted from a police van as they were being detained.

Some of the demonstrators alleged that they were detained even before the protest could start. They said the protestors were manhandled. Police officials, however, refuted the charge, saying the there was no permission for the demonstration. "No one was allowed to violate law and order," said the police officer.

On 7 October , Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent fighters -- through land, air and sea -- into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip.

More than 1,400 people were killed in the unprecedented attacks on Israel by Hamas on 7 October . Hamas has held more than 220 people hostage in Gaza.

According to authorities in Gaza, around 6,500 people have been killed in retaliatory strikes by Israel.