Supporters of both Israel and the Palestinians hurled words at each other Sunday across Denver's Lincoln Street.

The Palestinian backers said Israel's offensive in Gaza is killing too many civilians. They said Israel provoked the fighting.

Pro-Israeli speakers countered that the Jewish state has the right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Gaza. They said civilian casualties occur because the Islamist group Hamas bases itself in populated areas.

The Colorado State Patrol, which polices the state Capitol grounds, estimated the pro-Israel crowd at 3,000. They rallied on the Capitol steps.

The Palestinians, who gathered on the west side of Lincoln Street, mustered about 1,000 people, the patrol estimated.

Israr Haq, an emergency-services worker from Denver, said that while Israel has a right to defend itself, it has gone too far. Palestinians "have been bombarded ruthlessly for the last two weeks," he said.

Mark Cohen, who is Jewish, demonstrated with the Palestinians. "I'm here because Israel is killing innocent men, women and children in Gaza and is creating a humanitarian crisis there. They're acting in violation of international law," Cohen said.

Across the street, Pastor Cheryl Morrison of Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada said Israel just wants to be free from attacks.

"Peace is what I hear Jews everywhere asking for and praying for," Morrison said.

Morrison said Israel withdrew from Gaza in a gesture of peace toward the Palestinians but got rocket attacks in response.

"Israel finally said, 'Enough is enough,' and we say, 'Enough is enough,' " Morrison said.

Neil Dobro, a Denver dentist who organized the pro-Israel rally, said Hamas has no desire to make peace with Israel.

"We understand Hamas won't stop, so they must be stopped," Dobro said.

David Slamowitz, a Denver physician, said, "We feel bad about civilian casualties." But, he added, Hamas puts its own people in danger.

The group stockpiles ammunition in mosques, he said.

"You're always going to have civilian casualties in wars, but when a terrorist group uses its own civilians as human shields and then cries about Israel killing their civilian population - it absolutely makes no sense," Slamo witz said.