Silent march in London once again calls for immediate cease-fire in Gaza

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - A massive gathering flooded central London on Saturday as protesters convened in solidarity with Gaza, urging an immediate cease-fire amid the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.

The silent march, a poignant display of unity and resilience, resonated with voices from diverse backgrounds, echoing a resolute call for peace and justice.

The rally, spearheaded by health care workers, commenced outside St. Thomas' Hospital, drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

Among the impassioned voices was Emily Stevenson, a British Jewish activist. "We will not accept complicity being forced upon us," she asserted.

"Britain has sent over £400 million ($505 million) worth of military aid to Israel, including the funds for fighter jets that are currently being used to bombard refugee camps and hospitals," Stevenson said.

- 'South Africa showed Gaza true comradeship'

Oxford city councilor Jabu Nala-Hartley, a South African native, drew a parallel between the struggles against apartheid and the current plight of Palestinians.

"As a South African city councilor who resigned from the Labour Party, I was very proud," Nala-Hartley remarked. "The Israeli government must be stopped and challenged on this genocide."

Echoing the words of Nelson Mandela, she said: "Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of Palestine."

“We must not forget Gaza. We are here to fight for that light that it may never be extinguished by tyranny. South Africa showed Gaza true comradeship. It was also very crucial for South Africans to show the world that they have never forgotten the brutality of apartheid,” she said.

“The Israeli racist government and we must never forget to call them what they are – a racist, fascist," she said.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7 that has killed nearly 28,000 Palestinians following a surprise Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the initial attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while much of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Last month, the ICJ issued an interim order demanding that Israel stops obstructing aid deliveries into Gaza and improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave following a lawsuit by South Africa, accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide.