Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through London and other British cities on Saturday to protest against Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza strip during fighting with Hamas.
Demonstrators called for sanctions on Israel during the march in London. Some were draped in Palestinian flags and set of green and red smoke flares.
Others carried banners declaring “Free Palestine”, “Stop bombing Gaza” and “Sanctions on Israel”.
A ceasefire on Friday, mediated by Egypt, ended 11 days of hostilities, during which the Israeli military pounded Gaza with airstrikes which it said were a response to rockets fired at Israel by Palestinian militants.
Gaza medical officials said 248 people were killed in the Palestinian enclave, and aid officials have expressed concern about the humanitarian situation there.
Health officials said 13 people were killed in Israel in the hostilities, during which the Israeli military said Hamas and other groups fired around 4 350 rockets, many of which did not reach Israel or were intercepted
Hamas’ response to ceasefire
A Hamas official said that Israel must end its violations in Jerusalem and address damages from the bombardment of Gaza following a ceasefire that began on Friday, warning the group still had its “hands on the trigger”.
“It is true the battle ends today but (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the whole world should know that our hands are on the trigger and we will continue to grow the capabilities of this resistance,” said Ezzat El-Reshiq, a member of the Hamas political bureau.
He told Reuters in Doha that the movement’s demands also include protecting Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and ending the eviction of several Palestinians from their home in East Jerusalem which Reshiq described as “a red line”.
“What comes after the battle of ‘Sword of Jerusalem’ is not like what came before because the Palestinian people backed the resistance and know that the resistance is what will liberate their land and protect their holy sites,” Reshiq said.
Hamas began firing rockets on May 10 in retaliation for what it called Israeli rights abuses against Palestinians in Jerusalem including during police confrontations at Al-Aqsa mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Hamas, which rules Gaza, is deemed a terrorist group in the West and by Israel, which it refuses to recognise.
