In some of the biggest pro-Saddam marches held in Palestinian areas, tens of thousands of demonstrators yesterday burned flags and effigies of American, British and Israeli leaders, urged suicide bombings against American targets, and called on the Iraqi leader to launch missile attacks on Israel.
At the largest of the protests, in Gaza City, an estimated 30,000 Palestinians poured into the streets after Friday prayers, and clamoured for "beloved Saddam" to "hit Tel Aviv."
The demonstration was organised by Hamas which, in contrast to Mr Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority, is exhorting its supporters to show solidarity with Saddam, preferably by travelling to Iraq to fight with his forces.
Hundreds of Palestinian refugees are reported to have headed to Iraq in recent days from Syria, the only country to have opened its borders to such volunteers. Jordan, by contrast, has been keeping its borders resolutely closed, both to would-be Iraqi refugees fleeing west and to would-be Saddam supporters heading east.
Other rallies were held across the West Bank, where a series of smaller marches has taken place in recent days.
The growing number of participants reflects the widening public protests across the Arab world as the war in Iraq continues. As was the case 12 years ago, furthermore, Palestinian demonstrators are explicitly calling on Saddam to "liberate Palestine".
However, two-and-a-half years into the intifada, mainstream Palestinian opinion seems to be moderating: a new poll, taken in the West Bank just as the war began, surprisingly found most Palestinians now believe that peace with Israel is possible in the near future.