Osama al-Tamimi
Bahraini lawmaker Osama al-Tamimi burns Israeli flag (Mepanorama.com)

A Bahrain MP has set fire to an Israeli flag during a parliamentary session to express his support for the Palestinians in Gaza.

Osama al-Tamimi said he sought to "send a clear message to the international community" about Bahrain's support for the people of Gaza.

He said he smuggled a canister of gasoline into the chamber and set the flag ablaze, according to AP.

Tamimi is an independent MP, considered a rare, vocal, Sunni critic of the Sunni monarchy.

Bahraini authorities have banned pro-Gaza rallies as part of a nationwide crackdown on all demonstrations and public gatherings following clashes between police and pro-democracy protesters.

Israel