Silent vigil held in London in solidarity with Palestinians in Rafah

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - A demonstration in London was held Wednesday in support of Palestinian civilians ahead of a planned Israeli assault on Rafah.

Protesters staged a silent vigil outside the Prime Minister's Office in Whitehall to draw attention to Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Activists from Amnesty International dressed all in black garb and white face masks demonstrated while holding statements from Palestinians in Rafah who have experienced devasting Israeli attacks on their homes.

A message by Malak Al-Shaer from Rafah, read: "I couldn't open my eyes because they were full of glass, shrapnel and sand."

Another by 30-year-old Ahmad Nasman, said: "My body survived but my spirit died with my children."

The group urged the British government to use all means to press Israeli authorities into reversing any decision to launch a full-scale attack on Rafah.

"The UK must also call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all civilian hostages in Gaza, the urgent lifting of Israel’s blockade on Gaza, and UK ministers must suspend arms transfers to Israel and proactively support international justice mechanisms," it said in a statement.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Sunday that the army approved a plan to attack Rafah, which is home to more than 1.4 million people, most living in tents, deprived of essential services.

The army's announcement triggered concern from the UN and countries worldwide, as it could lead to catastrophic results for Palestinians in Rafah, who have nowhere to shelter.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, killing at least 28,567 victims and injuring 68,291 others, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the ICJ. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.