Red triangle (Palestinian symbol)

An inverted red triangle

Since the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, an inverted red triangle has been used by pro-Palestinian protesters. The red triangle as a Palestinian symbol dates back to the Arab Revolt, after which it was also used in the Palestinian flag. More recently, combat footage published by Hamas uses an inverted red triangle as an arrow to indicate Israeli military targets, such as tanks, just before they are struck. Usage of the triangle has spread to the international war-related protests, with some anti-Israel protesters using the symbol.

The Palestinian flag, with a red triangle, is hung on Al-Aqsa Mosque during a 2022 protest.

Historical origins

The red triangle appears in the 1917 Flag of the Arab Revolt. The color red in that context symbolized Arab independence and unity.

The red triangle also appears in the Flag of Palestine, which was used during the 1936–1939 Palestinian revolt against British colonialism and Zionism. In a 1938 photograph, Palestinian rebels are seeing waving a black, white and green flag with a red triangle, and inside the red triangle there is a cross and crescent, symbolizing Muslim-Christian unity.

Some theorize the symbol originates from the red triangle that appears in the Palestinian flag or from Nazi concentration camp badges. However, the Nazis used the inverted red triangle to identify prisoners with political views opposed to Nazism, not necessarily Jewish prisoners.

Use by Hamas

Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, began using a red triangle to mark Israeli targets in propaganda videos since November 2023.

International use

The red triangle has appeared in signs and graffiti made by Palestinian supporters in Germany, Canada, the United States and elsewhere.

It has sometimes been painted on private homes or businesses targeted by protesters, such as the apartment building of Columbia University's Chief Operating Officer, or a popular Jewish-owned bakery in Sydney, Australia.

The red triangle emoji (🔻) has been widely used by Palestinian supporters on social media. In October 2024 it was reported that Meta had decided to begin removing posts that used the symbol in the context of the Israel/Palestine conflict.

In July 2024, the Senate of Berlin voted to ban the symbol following an urgent motion filed by the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party. Niklas Schrader, a member of Die Linke, cautioned that banning the symbol could unintentionally lead to the outlawing of other organizations. The Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime displays the triangle on their flag accompanied by prisoner stripes, a design that has also been seen at pro-Israel demonstrations.

See also

• Pink triangle
• Watermelon (Palestinian symbol)