Thousands of protesters marched in cities worldwide on Saturday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon as the war in the Palestinian territory nears its one-year mark.

At the start of a planned wave of protests worldwide, pro-Palestinian supporters gathered in cities in the US, UK, France, South Africa, Ireland, and Switzerland to demand an end to the conflict, which has killed nearly 42,000 people in Gaza.

Dozens of protests and commemorations are set to take place ahead of the Monday anniversary of Hamas's attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,825 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the territory's health ministry and described as reliable by the United Nations.

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Commemorations for victims of the October 7 attack are also scheduled internationally, including ceremonies in London, Washington, Paris, Geneva, Athens, and Berlin.

An official anniversary ceremony will be held in Jerusalem on Monday.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will lead a memorial service at Sderot, one of the cities hardest hit during the onslaught by Palestinian militants.