The former leader of Hamas called on Muslims to stage global demonstrations in support of Palestinians on Friday, and urged Arabs in neighboring countries to take up arms against Israel.

Khaled Meshaal, who served as chief of Hamas from 2004 to 2017, called on the Islamic world to stage the protests.

“[We must] head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday,” Meshaal said in a recorded statement sent to Reuters.

Meshaal is based in Qatar, where he serves as the head of the Hamas diaspora office.

“To all scholars who teach jihad … to all who teach and learn, this is a moment for the application [of jihad],” he said.

Meshaal specifically called on the governments and peoples of Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan to join the fight against Israel, characterizing their involvement as a duty.

“Tribes of Jordan, sons of Jordan, brothers and sisters of Jordan … This is a moment of truth and the borders are close to you, you all know your responsibility,” he said.

Jordan, Lebanon and Syria have the highest populations of Palestinians outside of Gaza.

Across the world, demonstrations have sprung up daily for both sides in the conflict, with many leading to clashes between Palestinian and Israeli sympathizers in city streets.

The rallying cry came as Israeli forces continued to hit back at the Gaza Strip in response to the bloody sneak attack Hamas launched over the weekend, which left about 1,200 Israelis dead, over 100 taken hostage, and 2,700 wounded.

It was the deadliest attack on Israel in 75 years, and saw Hamas terrorists storming the country by land, sea and air, indiscriminately killing men, women and children as they raided villages near the border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he was forming an emergency war cabinet with political opponents Wednesday as part of a vow to unify the country in response to the attacks and focus all efforts on hitting back at Hamas.

Rockets and Israeli fighter jets are continuing to bombard Hamas in retaliation.

Overnight, more than 200 targets were hit in Gaza City, and the strip remains under “total siege” from Israel.

Officials in Gaza said the reprisal airstrikes have killed 1,100 people and injured more than 5,000.