LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – People gathered today in Little Rock to protest the violence in the war between Israel and Hamas and are calling for a ceasefire.

Many of the people protesting have family in the middle east. They say the past few weeks have been filled with sleepless nights, worrying about whether they are all safe.

Protesters like Hadeel Abuelhaja, said innocent people are being caught in the crossfire.

“I lost three members of my family, they got shot, killed on the spot, because they are Palestinians,” Abuelhaja said.

Marwa Mekdade also has family overseas. 

“They’ve completely cut off phones, internet, everything that we have had to communicate with anyone back there, now what I know is 49 members of my extended family gone, we don’t know now what is happening to the rest of them,” Mekdade said.

Another protester, Abrahim Abumasrah, and others are calling on people in power to make it stop.

“All we’re asking, doesn’t matter who, if they’re from Gaza, from Palestine, from Israel, they need to be held accountable to the international war crimes that they’re doing right now, and that’s really what we’re asking for, to be fair,” Abumasrah said.

They hope to bring awareness to other Arkansans about the war. Jeff Hood says it hits closer to home than one might think.

“You look at all of these people out here, the flags, the tears, the chanting, this is all such deep connection to Palestine,” Hood said. “You’ve got Muslims, Christians, Jews out here and we all are pro human, and that’s what we’re asking Little Rock, that’s what we’re asking Arkansas, that’s what we’re asking the United States, the whole world, to be pro human, you can’t be pro human and let this stuff continue in Gaza.”

There will be a prayer of peace held this Friday on the steps of the State Capitol.