Toronto's Jewish community reacts to Iran's attack on Israel

Dozens of people attended a rally in Toronto's Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue area Sunday afternoon to protest Iran's attack on Israel on Saturday.

Those involved say this latest act of violence could once again hit the community here at home again.

Iran has fired about 300 rockets and drones at targets inside Israel, but Israeli officials say the country and its allies have intercepted about 99 percent of them. Iran then announced the end of the operation.

“Anyone who stands with us is being attacked, and I think it's pure hate,” said Esther Mordechai, president of Canadian Women Against Anti-Semitism. “We're all devastated, we're crying, I've been saying for six months now, this is an ongoing issue, it's not about this place.”

Rally organizer Guidi Mamann also said they want the violence to end. “We all want a ceasefire, nobody wants to harm their children.”

Tensions in the Middle East are rising again, and the public is worried that the October attack by Hamas will be forgotten.

“Our hostages are not at home yet. This means that someone did not receive the message. “They were not persuaded enough to release these innocent people,” Mamann said.

In the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the current conflict, Iran-backed Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants killed 1,200 people and kidnapped another 250 in Israel. Israel's subsequent offensive in Gaza caused widespread destruction and killed more than 33,000 people, according to local health officials.

Local residents also fear what this new round of attacks might bring. “It could be very unpleasant for the world,” Mamann said. “This conflict, God forbid, could create an international situation that would spiral out of control, it's an international problem and we cannot bear all the weight ourselves.”

Toronto police told CityNews there is no known threat to the city, but they continue to deploy officers on special patrols around places of worship, schools and community centres.

They also say there is a command post on Bathurst Street near Glencairn Avenue for ongoing community engagement.

With Canadian Press files