Thousands of Moroccans gathered in Rabat on Sunday to voice their support for the Palestinian cause and protest a new Israeli law that would allow the execution of Palestinians convicted of attacks.

The crowd of around 5,000 people marched down the capital's Mohammed V Avenue in the centre of town, with many carrying Palestinian and Moroccan flags.

The protest was called by the National Action Group for Palestine, which brings together members of the Justice and Development party and activists.

The demonstrators chanted "no to the death penalty" and "no to occupation and Zionism", as well as slogans criticising Israel's conduct of the war on Gaza.

Arbitrary discrimination

"We're sending our support to Palestinian prisoners who are threatened by this new law on the death penalty," Aziz El Hannaoui, a member of the organising coalition, said.

The Israeli law makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank found guilty of carrying out attacks deemed "acts of terrorism" by an Israeli military court.

It also allows the death penalty to be applied in murder cases tried in Israeli criminal courts if the perpetrator intended to "put an end to the existence of the State of Israel."

Critics have said that by effectively creating a separate legal track for Palestinians, the law appears to conflict with Israel's Basic Laws, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination.

After its passage, the law was condemned by the Palestinian Authority, activists and several foreign governments, and immediately drew a court challenge.