NEW YORK -- Hundreds of protesters flooded the main concourse of New York City's iconic Grand Central Terminal on Friday, demanding a cease-fire as Israel continued its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The demonstration resulted in the detainment of at least 200 protesters by the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Clad in black T-shirts with slogans such as "Jews say cease-fire now" and "Not in our name," the protesters made their presence known during the evening rush hour. As they chanted slogans and unfurled banners, law enforcement officers moved in and detained them, leading them out of the train station with their hands zip-tied behind their backs.

NYPD stated that the detained protesters were briefly taken into custody, issued summonses, and subsequently released. A more accurate count of the number of detentions is expected to be available on Saturday morning.

Some protesters went to great lengths to have their voices heard, scaling the stone ledges in front of departure boards while carrying banners. In response, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority advised commuters to utilize Penn Station as an alternative.

After the police disbanded the sit-in, the remaining protesters spilled out into the streets surrounding Grand Central Terminal. Advocacy group Jewish Voice for Peace announced on social media that the sit-in was a historic moment with "hundreds of Jews and friends… calling for a ceasefire."

The scenes at Grand Central Terminal were reminiscent of the sit-in that took place on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. last week. Jewish advocacy groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now, staged a similar protest and over 300 individuals were arrested for their participation.

Meanwhile, Israel escalated its airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, severely disrupting communication and internet services for the 2.3 million Palestinian residents. Gaza's Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, reported that over 7,300 people have been killed during the ongoing conflict, with over 60% of the casualties being women and children.

The Israeli military's declaration of "expanding" ground operations in Gaza suggested a looming full-scale invasion to eradicate the Hamas militant group. This move comes after the group's incursion into southern Israel three weeks prior, which resulted in the death of over 1,400 Israelis according to the Israeli government, with at least 229 individuals taken hostage and brought into Gaza.

In response to the escalating violence, the United Nations General Assembly passed a nonbinding resolution calling for a "humanitarian truce" in Gaza to pave the way for an end to hostilities. This resolution marks the first international response to the surprise attacks launched by Hamas on October 7 and Israel's subsequent military actions.