Several hundred people gathered outside of Nashville's Estes Kefauver Federal Building on Saturday for an "Emergency Rally for Gaza" one week after Israel was attacked by Hamas militants, sparking a war that has already killed thousands of Israelis and Palestinians.

As previously reported, the Oct. 7 surprise attack killed approximately 1,400 people in Israel, many of whom were Israeli civilians, and resulted in thousands of injuries, as well as more than 100 people kidnapped and taken into Gaza. 

Israel has responded in the days since the attack with a barrage of airstrikes which have killed several members of Hamas' leadership, but has also killed at least 2,750 Palestinians with more than 9,700 wounded by the air strikes in the Gaza Strip.

Business Insider reports that many of the Palestinian casualties have been children, who make up about half of the population of Gaza.

Saturday's protest was held in conjunction with demonstrations across the nation and the world over the past week, calling for an end to the siege in what some have called "genocide" as Israel prepares for a full-scale ground invasion of Gaza.

In Nashville, Palestinian protesters were met by a handful of pro-Israel counter-protesters before they marched through downtown in a peaceful event which saw no physical altercations and no arrests.

U.S. President Joe Biden pledged "critical assets" in the form of military aid, as the U.S. has also increased its military presence in the region and is working to help with the negotiation and rescue of hostages.

Americans were among those killed, injured and kidnapped in the Oct. 7 attack, and CNN reports that Americans are among those trapped in the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

As previously reported, on Oct. 9, hundreds of Nashvillians gathered at the Gordon Jewish Community Center for a solidarity rally which was attended by numerous public officials, including Gov. Bill Lee.