Israel-Hamas crisis: London, and other cities witness pro-Palestine protest march

Demonstrators gathered on the streets of the capital holding flags and banners as they demanded an end to the bombing, reported BBC.

Metropolitan Police posted on X: "Today we have made 9 arrests:7 for Public Order offences. 2 for assaults on officers. A number of the Public Order arrests are being treated as hate crimes."

There have been nine arrests, some of which are being treated as suspected hate crimes, the British media reported.

Apart from London, protests also occurred in  Manchester, Glasgow, and Belfast.

During the march in London, an emotional Chrif El Amraoui told the BBC: "Just now marching, I'm crying because children are killed daily. Why? Why do they want more to be killed?"

Abdul Mahfuudi attended the protest with his children and said: "The most important thing for us is for them to stop killing kids. They need to stop."

Over 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers were deployed for the march.

Meanwhile, the United Nations on Saturday (October 28, 2023) ramped up appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza after another night of ground incursions and intense bombardment by Israeli forces left healthcare facilities without electricity and civilians across the ravaged enclave virtually “cut off from the outside world”.

Secretary-General António Guterres said: “I reiterate my strong appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, together with the unconditional release of hostages and the delivery of relief at a level corresponding to the dramatic needs of the people in Gaza, where a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in front of our eyes.”

The UN chief is on his way to Nepal for an official visit but is closely following the situation in the Middle East.

According to his spokesperson in NY, during a stopover in Doha, Qatar, Guterres spoke by phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and the two discussed the current situation in that region and the coordination of humanitarian efforts for civilians in Gaza.