By Burak Bir
LONDON (AA) - A large crowd on Wednesday gathered outside of the Houses of Parliament in London to demand Members of Parliament vote in favor of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
Protesters chanted slogans, calling for a cease-fire as the members voted on an amendment, proposed by the Scottish National Party (SNP) on whether to support a cease-fire in Gaza.
The amendment calls on the government to "join with the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire."
Protesters started to arrive near the parliament at around 5 pm local time to attend an "emergency rally," called by the coalition which organizes weekly massive pro-Palestine demonstrations.
Carrying Palestinian flags, the crowd also criticized the politicians who have refrained from calling for a cease-fire in the besieged enclave where the death toll has climbed to more than 11,000 people.
As the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip entered its 40th day, at least 11,320 Palestinians have been killed, including over 7,800 women and children, and more than 29,200 others have been injured, according to the latest figures from Palestinian authorities.
Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel's relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave since last month.
The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.