Second Global Day of Action for Gaza Held on Saturday, February 17
London, MINA – Tens of thousands of people are expected to march through the streets of the British capital, London on Saturday, February 17 in solidarity with Gaza and to call for an end to the genocide of Palestinians there, Middle East Monitor reports.
The national march, which is due to set off from Marble Arch and proceed to the Israeli embassy in Kensington, is part of the Global Day of Action being held in more than 100 cities in over 45 countries.
Activists will be taking to the streets in Washington, Sydney, Istanbul and Seoul among other cities, in response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Rafah in southern Gaza. At a time when Israel’s military operation intensifies, civilians in Rafah face imminent danger and displacement, adding to the already staggering toll of killing and suffering inflicted upon the Palestinian people.
More than 85 per cent of Gaza’s 2.3 million civilians have been forced out of their homes as a result of Israel’s brutal bombing campaign, nearly 30,000 have been killed and a further almost 70,000 injured, the vast majority children and women.
In a preliminary ruling last month, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) called on Israel to ensure it is not committing genocide in Gaza, however it now plans a ground offensive into the last remaining city in Gaza, in which more than half of displaced Palestinians are not sheltering in tents.
“As the world bears witness to these atrocities, the Palestine Coalition stands in solidarity with the people of Rafah and Gaza, demanding an immediate halt to Israel’s military aggression and a cessation of all hostilities. We condemn in the strongest terms possible all forms of aggression against the civilian population of Gaza, and we call upon the international community to take decisive action to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity,” the coalition said in a statement.
The body includes Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB), Stop the War Coalition, Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA), Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
PSC Director, Ben Jamal, said: “At each stage of Israel’s genocidal attack on Gaza we’ve seen horrors that we never thought possible. The images this week from Israel’s bombardment of Rafah, of children with limbs torn apart, should be seared on the conscience of the world. Despite mounting pressure from world leaders, and in defiance of the ICJ ruling, the Israeli Government has made clear that it is about to launch an attack on Rafah that will lead to unprecedented levels of carnage.”
The Palestine Coalition added in its press release: “As we stand on the precipice of a crime of historic proportions, let us reaffirm our commitment to the principles of human rights, justice and peace. Together, let us raise our united voice loudly to press the British Parliament to vote for a ceasefire next Wednesday. We can make a difference and bring an end to the genocidal war on Gaza and oppression that has plagued the Palestinian people for far too long.”
The UK parliament is due to vote on a motion for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza on Wednesday 21 February, almost five months after Israel began its campaign to decimate and ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip. (T/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
