Ceasefire Rally Planned At Rep Madeleine Dean's Glenside Office Friday

GLENSIDE, PA — Some Montgomery County residents are planning to rally outside a congresswoman's office Friday, urging her to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The rally is planned for 2:30 p.m. outside Rep. Madeleine Dean's Glenside office.

"A ceasefire would allow for much needed humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and for a safe exchange of hostages," organizers told Patch.

Organizers said a group of concerned citizens of Montgomery County will be gathering at the office to ask her to support a ceasefire in Palestine.

Organizers said they hope the event will "show that many people in our country and in MontCo specifically do not consent to our government continuing to send military and financial aid in support of Israel's manufactured humanitarian crisis in Gaza."

Dean in late October called for a "humanitarian pause in hostilities in Israel and Gaza in order to prioritize the health and safety of civilians."

"We must protect the lives of Palestinian civilians, Gazans – half of whom are children – who have no affiliation with Hamas," she said in a statement.

Fighting broke out after an attack by Hamas on Israelis on Oct. 7.

About 250 people were taken hostage by Hamas, and 1,139 people — including children and Israeli security force members — were killed.

Since the attack, more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed and 63,000 hurt, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Additionally, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said 570,000 Gazans are classified as having food insecurity equivalent to famine levels of starvation.