Pro-Palestinian rallies continue as Gaza crisis intensifies

Organisers Stop the War Coalition listed 57 separate pro-Palestinian events across UK on Saturday, including assemblies and candlelit vigils.

It comes amid growing international concern about the Israeli operation in the region.

The offensive, triggered by the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, has flattened much of northern Gaza and driven 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes.

Displaced people have squeezed into shelters mainly in the south in a spiralling humanitarian crisis.

The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has expressed unease over Israel’s failure to reduce civilian casualties and its plans for the future of Gaza, but the White House continues to offer wholehearted support with weapons shipments and diplomatic backing.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration is also facing public anger, after Israeli troops on Friday mistakenly shot dead three hostages.

The army’s chief spokesman said troops found the hostages on Friday and erroneously identified them as a threat. He said it was not clear if they had escaped their captors or been abandoned.

The hostages have been identified as Alon Shamriz, Samer Al-Talalka and Yotam Haim.

Late on Friday, hundreds of protesters blocked Tel Aviv’s main road in a spontaneous demonstration calling for the return of hostages still held by Palestinian militants.

In north London, about 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Camden to call for a ceasefire, with some shouting “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free”.

Protesters outside the house of the Israeli ambassador to the UK criticised the Israel Defence Forces’ killing of three Israeli hostages taken in the Hamas October 7 attack.

One man told the crowd: “It’s clear what these hostages were doing that rendered them a threat from the IDF, presumably something like being men who were unarmed in north Gaza, maybe running – that’s all it takes to be murdered by the IDF.”