LONDON: Tens of thousands of people across the UK held protests on Saturday as part of a “Day of Action” against the resumption of Israel’s renewed attack on Gaza following a seven-day pause in fighting, organizers said.
“Israel’s decision to resume its bombardment of Gaza flies in the face of international law, which prohibits collective punishment and attacks on civilians,” said Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign — one of the organizers of the nationwide call.
“Every humanitarian agency on the ground has indicated that the scale of destruction already wrought by Israel has pushed Gaza to the brink of catastrophe, where deaths from disease and lack of medical services could outstrip the current casualty figures,” he told Arab News.
“In that context not only is it unconscionable that Israel would renew its attacks, (but) it is also shameful and unacceptable that UK political leaders would give their support, tacitly or explicitly.”
At least 193 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire ended on Friday, according to Gazan health officials, adding to the more than 15,000 Palestinians killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas following a surprise attack on Oct. 7 in southern Israel.
“Ordinary people across the UK will come out again to show the vast majority of them support a permanent ceasefire, they will show their solidarity with Palestinians who are experiencing unbearable suffering, (and) they will also demand the root causes are not forgotten — Israel’s decades-long military occupation of Palestinian territories and its system of apartheid against Palestinians,” Jamal said.
“We demand justice for the Palestinian people — their right to self-determination and to live in freedom, dignity and with equality.”
PSC has organized weekly national marches in London since the war began, some of which organizers said drew about 800,000 people and were among the nations biggest demonstrations in history. The next scheduled national march is set to be held on Dec. 9.
Various events were held around the country as part of the call, including ceasefire rallies and vigils in places such as Brighton, Hull in the north of England, Coventry in the center, Canterbury in the southeast, and the Welsh capital Cardiff.
