The French government has been accused of “criminalising” pro-Palestinian activists, by backing a ban on protests against Israeli violence on the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of protesters were expected to march in Paris over the weekend and call for an end to the violence in Gaza, as it emerged on Friday that the Israeli military had killed 296 Palestinians in the renewed conflict – including a baby, four children and a 70-year-old woman since Thursday. One Israeli civilian and one IDF soldier have died in the 11-day conflict.

Citing a “threat to public order”, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve backed the police ban on the widely-advertised mass demonstrations, after members of the Jewish Defence League (LDJ) and pro-Palestinian groups clashed last Sunday.

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He also advised other police prefects to consider banning planned rallies on a “case by case” basis.

Videos from rallies last week reportedly showed armed LDJ vigilantes attempting to tempt pro-Palestinian demonstrators into fights.

Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Israel-Palestinian demonstrations around the world Show all 18 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Israel-Palestinian demonstrations around the world 1/18 London Palestine's supporters and Palestinians themselves gathered in Portland Place outside the BBC headquarters, to protest against the alleged lack of information in British news on the war in Palestine 2/18 London Palestinian and pro-Palestinian demonstrators assemble outside the BBC TV Centre in central London to protest against it's biased, pro-Israeli reporting of the conflict in Gaza 3/18 London Pro-Palestinian protesters stand on a London bus during a demonstration outside the Israeli embassy on 11 July Getty Images 4/18 London A protester holds a placard during the protest on 11 July Getty Images 5/18 London Demonstrators scale a London bus during the protest on 11 July Getty Images 6/18 London Police line the demonstration outside the Israeli embassy on 11 July Getty Images 7/18 Washington, US A man waves a flag at a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC on on 11 July Getty 8/18 Mexico City A rally against the Israeli military held outside the Mexican Foreign Ministry building in Mexico City on 11 July Getty 9/18 Tunisia Tunisians hold Palestinian flags as they protest in Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis on 11 July Getty 10/18 Jakarta, Indonesia A portrait of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sprayed with fake blood at a rally in Jakarta on 11 July Getty 11/18 Jakarta, Indonesia A pro-Palestinian rally in Jakarta on 11 July Getty 12/18 Rome, Italy A rally in downtown Rome on 11 July Getty 13/18 Paris, France Pro-Palestinian protesters in Paris on 11 July Getty Images 14/18 New York, US Pro-Israeli protesters rally near the Israeli Mission to the United Nations on 9 July Getty 15/18 New York, US The pro-Israeli protest on 9 July Getty 16/18 New York, US A man shouts "Free Palestine" during a march in midtown Manhattan on 9 July Reuters 17/18 New York, US A march in Manhattan demanding an end to the escalating Israeli-Palestinian hostilities on 9 July Reuters 18/18 New York, US Protesters rally across the street from the Israeli Mission to the United Nations in New York on 9 July 9 Getty Images 1/18 London Palestine's supporters and Palestinians themselves gathered in Portland Place outside the BBC headquarters, to protest against the alleged lack of information in British news on the war in Palestine 2/18 London Palestinian and pro-Palestinian demonstrators assemble outside the BBC TV Centre in central London to protest against it's biased, pro-Israeli reporting of the conflict in Gaza 3/18 London Pro-Palestinian protesters stand on a London bus during a demonstration outside the Israeli embassy on 11 July Getty Images 4/18 London A protester holds a placard during the protest on 11 July Getty Images 5/18 London Demonstrators scale a London bus during the protest on 11 July Getty Images 6/18 London Police line the demonstration outside the Israeli embassy on 11 July Getty Images 7/18 Washington, US A man waves a flag at a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC on on 11 July Getty 8/18 Mexico City A rally against the Israeli military held outside the Mexican Foreign Ministry building in Mexico City on 11 July Getty 9/18 Tunisia Tunisians hold Palestinian flags as they protest in Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis on 11 July Getty 10/18 Jakarta, Indonesia A portrait of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sprayed with fake blood at a rally in Jakarta on 11 July Getty 11/18 Jakarta, Indonesia A pro-Palestinian rally in Jakarta on 11 July Getty 12/18 Rome, Italy A rally in downtown Rome on 11 July Getty 13/18 Paris, France Pro-Palestinian protesters in Paris on 11 July Getty Images 14/18 New York, US Pro-Israeli protesters rally near the Israeli Mission to the United Nations on 9 July Getty 15/18 New York, US The pro-Israeli protest on 9 July Getty 16/18 New York, US A man shouts "Free Palestine" during a march in midtown Manhattan on 9 July Reuters 17/18 New York, US A march in Manhattan demanding an end to the escalating Israeli-Palestinian hostilities on 9 July Reuters 18/18 New York, US Protesters rally across the street from the Israeli Mission to the United Nations in New York on 9 July 9 Getty Images

“I consider that the conditions are not right to guarantee security,” Mr Cazeneuve said regarding the main Paris march, according to the Mail Online.

On Friday evening, lawyers for a number of groups responded by lodging an appeal against the ban in a Paris court.

Attending an illegal demonstration is punishable by a year in prison, and a €15,000 fine – a penalty which rises to a three year sentence and a €45,000 fine if a demonstrator covers their face to avoid being identified.

Meanwhile, publicising an illegal demonstration on social media can lead to a year-long prison sentence, and a €15,000 fine. This increases to seven years and a 100,000 fine if the post sparks violence.

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Youssef Boussoumah, of the Party of the Indigenous of the Republic (PIR), told the website: “France is criminalising any show of solidarity with the Palestinian people."

“This is an absolute outrage, it is a continuation of attempts to muzzle the Palestinian people and to get them and their supporters in France to surrender absolutely to Israel's oppression,” he added.

False reports following last week’s protests claimed that pro-Palestinian demonstrators had damaged synagogues during the rally, but it later emerged none of the religious buildings had been targeted.

A judicial inquiry is to be launched into the false allegations.