Vigil held in London to commemorate health care workers killed in Gaza

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - A vigil was held Friday outside of the prime minister's office in London to commemorate health care workers killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip where the death toll has surpassed 34,000.

During the demonstration organized by Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine, names and photos of health care professionals were placed on the ground along with uniforms to symbolize the dead.

British health care workers were among the attendees and a minute of silence was observed to remember their colleagues.

Uroosa Mayet, a physiotherapist, noted that medical scientists, paramedics, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, pharmacists, psychologists, radiographers were among the health care workers killed in Gaza.

"We call on all health workers to use their voice in any way they can, especially those in leadership positions, to be on the side of humanity and to use their position to call collectively and immediate and permanent cease-fire," she told demonstrators.

"We cannot be silent. We cannot be neutral," she said, and urged a collective release of innocent Palestinians, Israeli civilians and health workers who remain hostage, under arrest or are detained.

More than 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 76,800 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’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.

The relentless assault has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of health care workers and dozens of civil defense personnel.

The attacks have also caused the deaths of 140 journalists and led 17,000 children to survive without one or both parents.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. 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.