Palestinian supporters protest outside weapons manufacturer in Kearny Mesa

A pro-Palestinian protest in San Diego attracted hundreds of supporters Thursday outside the defense contractor Northrup Grumman on Thursday morning.

The event, which is believed to have been organized by local organizations, began shortly after 8 a.m. outside the San Diego headquarters of Northrup Grumman, which critics argue supplies weapons and missile systems to Israel.

"We urge you to amplify our call for a ceasefire," organizers said, in part, in a statement sent out Wednesday evening. The Associated Press has reported that the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 10,000 in the Gaza Strip, which Israel has been targeting in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that claimed the lives of 1,400 people in Israel.

By 10 a.m., several hundred protesters were in the 9300 block of Spectrum Center Boulevard, outside Northrup Grumman, many of them blocking traffic, some holding signs demanding a cease-fire in Gaza and many waving Palestinian flags.

At one point, the protestors crossed Ruffin Road and approached the entrance to Stu Segall Productions — a local film and TV production company with a long association with local veterans — where U.S. and Israeli flags were flying. After a protester approached the pole and reached through a fence where the pole was located, both flags suddenly plummeted to the ground. As dozens of protestors approached the fence, two men from inside the fence walked over and bundled the flags, then held them away from the crowd. Shortly afterward, the crowd dispersed and crossed back over Ruffin Road.

During the more than 60 minutes that SkyRanger 7 flew above the scene, no San Diego police officers were spotted at the protest.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a nearly $14.5 billion military aid package for Israel, a muscular U.S. response to the war with Hamas but also a partisan approach by new Speaker Mike Johnson that poses a direct challenge to Democrats and President Joe Biden. On Monday, Reuters reported that the White House told Congress it planned a transfer of $320 million in precision bombs for Israel.

Israel has defended its military operation in Gaza, saying it is abiding by the laws of war but that Hamas is firing rockets from residential areas and using civilians as human shields, NBC News reported, adding that Israeli president Isaac Herzog told the BBC that Israel was putting “a huge focus” on reducing civilian casualties.

It was announced on Thursday that Israel had agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its assault on Hamas in northern Gaza starting on Thursday, according to the White House, with President Joe Biden pressing Israelis for a multi-day stoppage in the fighting in a bid to release hostages held by the militant group.

Later in the day on Thursday, medical students, residents, staff, faculty, residents and other health care workers are expected to begin a solidarity walkout at noon at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, in the T. Denny Sanford Medical Education and Telemedicine Building Courtyard, to call for public officials to end the public health crisis in the Gaza Strip.

City News Service contributed to this report — Ed.