The vigil sought to make a call for a cease-fire and “make sure that no more young lives are lost.”
London, October 24, 2023: London on Tuesday saw a vigil to mourn Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, reports Anadolu Agency.
As the Israeli attacks on one of the world’s most densely-populated areas continue, dozens of people took part in the vigil held by the Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a UK-based charity, in the central Parliament Square.
On their hands, the participants had written the names of Palestinian children killed in the Israeli bombardment, which now exceeds 2,000.
Reading a statement on behalf of the group, its CEO Melanie Ward said time is running out for the one million children of Gaza who are living an “unspeakable nightmare.”
“Their basic needs such as food and water are rapidly running out, and many have been forced to flee their homes as Israel’s bombardment and siege continues,” she said.
Rohan Talbot, the group’s director of advocacy and campaigns, called the death toll in Gaza “devastating.” He said that thousands more are injured and more than 800 people are believed to be still lying in the rubble of destroyed buildings.
Talbot said the vigil sought to make a call for a cease-fire and “make sure that no more young lives are lost.”
He also said the UK government should make it “very clear” that anything that Israel does needs to be within international law: “Ending the indiscriminate attacks on family homes, hits on hospitals, and shelters, that needs to stop.”
He also called for an end to “the total closure of Gaza,” adding that food, water, medical items, and fuel should be allowed in.
Since October 7, when the current conflict began, more than 7,100 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 5,791 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.
