Just back from the Gaza demo in London. The atmosphere was lively, as you might imagine, and the turnout was in the tens of thousands. There were over a dozen protests around the country, attracting hundreds of people (for example, more than 300 in Birmingham, nearly 500 in Portsmouth and hundreds in Wales). Thousands more demonstrated across Europe.
Israel today escalated its assault on Gaza, bombarding the besieged territory with tank shells and artillery. Human Rights Watch yesterday warned that artillery fire poses a severe risk to civilians. In one strike on a mosque in Beit Lahiya at least 14 civilians were reportedly killed, including children, and dozens more were wounded. The air-strikes have been stepped up, with Israeli jets bombing the main road through Gaza in three different places making it virtually impossible for Gazans to travel from one side of the Strip to the other. Some 10,000 Israeli troops, including tanks and artillery, are massed on the border, and a ground invasion looks probable. Amnesty International warns that this "could greatly increase civilian casualties":
"Israeli forces must bear in mind that there are no 'safe' places in Gaza for civilians to seek shelter. ... Strikes are virtually sure to kill and injure civilians."
[UPDATE: Fuck. The ground invasion has been launched.]
According to medical officials in Gaza, at least 457 Palestinians have been killed in the past week, with more than 2,300 wounded. Most of them are civilians, including dozens of women and children. Ma’an News reported yesterday that 57% of those killed by Israel since New Year’s Eve have been children. At least 13,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the fighting, over half of them children. Due to the blockade and Israel’s attacks on health facilities Gaza’s health system is "overwhelmed", with the Mental Health Progam having to suspend all its activities.
The UN OCHA yesterday reported, contrary to Livni’s obscenities, that "[t]he humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is significant and cannot be understated". Gazans are facing a "food crisis" and utilities are "barely functioning":
"the only electric power plant has shut down. Some 250,000 people in central and northern Gaza do not have electricity at all due to the damage to fifteen electricity transformers during the air strikes. The water system provides running water once every 5-7 days and the sanitation system cannot treat the sewage and is dumping 40 million litres of raw sewage into the sea daily. Fuel for heating, needed due to the cold weather, and cooking gas, are no longer available in the market."
Here are my photos and video from the demo:
Several Jewish peace groups were in attendance:
Gathered in Trafalgar Square:
[UPDATE: In case you missed it above, the ground invasion has been launched.]
Cross-posted at The Heathlander