Palestinian and Israeli supporters clashed as hundreds marched to demand the release of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.
There was one arrest as tempers flared on the ‘national march for the hostages’, organised by Stop the Hate UK, through central London on Sunday.
The protest came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel has no choice but to ‘finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas’ in a final military takeover of Gaza.
He explained he hopes to demilitarise Gaza, allowing the Israeli military to have ‘security control’ over the enclave.
26 Palestinians were killed while seeking aid in Gaza, hospitals and witnesses said on the same day Netanyahu spoke.
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to recognise a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government meets a series of conditions towards ending the conflict in Gaza.
But Stop the Hate urged the Prime Minister to prioritise the release of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages, with 20 of them thought to be alive, before any recognition of a Palestinian state.
During the march one man was carried away by police officers after a scuffle broke out close to the gates of Downing Street.
The man was seen throwing water over a pro-Israel demonstrator before charging at him.
A scuffle broke out and the man then put his hand around the demonstrator’s neck, before officers intervened.
The man was seen being carried away by the officers.
Among those due to attend and give a speech is Noga Guttman, the cousin of 24-year-old Evyatar David, who was kidnapped.
Hamas released a video last weekend which showed Mr David looking skeletal and hollow-eyed in a dimly lit Gaza tunnel.
Some protesters held Israeli flags and wore yellow ribbons as they congregated in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Holborn from 1.30pm.
Earlier, on The Strand, a young man was kept away from the protesters after shouting ‘Free Palestine’.
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The Metropolitan Police said officers were deployed along the route ‘to ensure the safety of those attending and to deal with any offences.’
A man, who was not part of the march, was arrested for common assault and a racially aggravated public order offence after the march briefly paused just past Charing Cross, the force said.
Addressing the crowd in Whitehall, the UK’s Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said: ‘To our Government we turn and we say “how would you ever be able to live with the fact that you would have recognised a Palestinian state, at the head of which is a terrorist organisation, with a stated intention of destroying the state of Israel and harming Jews right around the world and all this at a time when the hostages are still languishing in the tunnels of Gaza?”
‘The Labour Party, both in opposition and now in Government, has had a mantra, they have continuously been saying “don’t judge us by our words, judge us by our deeds”.
‘And to our Government we say right now this is the time for responsible action, it is not too late.’
Ayelet Svatitzky, whose brothers Roi and Nadav Popplewell were murdered, said in her own speech: ‘This week I joined a meeting with the UK Government to continue to press our case that the hostages must be freed before the UK Government can recognise the state of Palestine.
‘As I said to the Government, to recognise the state without the return of all of the hostages is a prize to Hamas for the murder of my two brothers.’
speakers from a progressive Judaism movement were booed at the march after saying that Palestinians have the “right to self-determination”.
Rabbi Charley Baginsky, speaking close to Downing Street, said: ‘We call for an end to this war through a deal that brings the hostages home and the permanent restoration of humanitarian aid to Gaza.’
Some in the crowd began booing and shouting ‘no deal’, while one man shouted ‘smash Hamas’.
Rabbi Josh Levy then said: ‘The Palestinian people like us have the right to self-determination.
‘But how it is done matters too, we reject a methodology that tries to force this future through violence, terror and the suffering of civilians.
More in the crowd joined in the booing, while some shouted ‘shame on you’ and demanded that the pair be removed.
