Dozens of journalists and activists staged a rally outside the Cairo journalists' syndicate building on Sunday, following the death of a Palestinian toddler Ali Saad Dawabsha.

The toddler died as a result of his families' home being attacked with Molotov cocktails by Israeli settlers on Friday.

Hossam El-Seweify, one of the organisers of the protest, told Ahram Online that he did not expect a crowd as big as the one that attended.

"Due to the hot weather today, we did not expect this number of people to show up at the protest. The syndicate also supported the event," he said.

The protesters chanted anti-Israel slogans and lifted up photos of the toddler who was killed. They also set an Israeli flag on fire.

The organisers called on Saturday for the protest on Facebook. One of the posts read: "The Zionists are committing massacres against the Palestinian people almost daily. The last was barbarically burning a Palestinian toddler alive."

Egypt's foreign affairs ministry condemned in a statement the attack on the West Bank and called on the Israeli authorities to acknowledge their “legal and humanitarian responsibilities as an occupation authority and to provide security and safety to the Palestinian people.”

UN chief Ban Ki-moon also condemned the killing of the 18-month-old Dawabsha, describing it as a “terrorist act.”

Photos: Mai Shaheen