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London Stands with Jenin: 100s rally outside Israel embassy

London Stands with Jenin: Hundreds rally outside Israel's UK embassy
World
10 min read
Hundreds of protesters rallied outside Israel's embassy in London after a deadly raid by Israeli forces on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

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Hundreds of protesters turned out for a rally outside Israel's embassy in London on Wednesday after a deadly Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The large-scale Israeli assault, involving hundreds of forces, drone strikes and armoured bulldozers, lasted two days, with Israeli forces withdrawing from their positions in the camp late on Tuesday.

The Israeli army said one of its soldiers died, while 12 Palestinians had been killed and dozens were injured. Images from Jenin showed widescale destruction, with much of the crowded city left charred and in rubble from the attack which displaced at least 3,000 residents.

"What we've witnessed this week is another grim episode in Israel's relentless brutality against Palestinians," Ismail Patel, chair of British pro-Palestine group Friends of Al-Aqsa, said in a press release.

"Israel's murder of 12 Palestinians in Jenin, including four children, demonstrates the apartheid state's persistent barbarity.

"Today, we've gathered to demand an end to this. We're calling for sanctions on Israel and recommitting our efforts to standing up for Palestinians by urging everyone to email their MPs to oppose the dangerous 'anti-BDS bill.'"

The protest, which is now finished, drew around 500 people.

The anti-BDS or anti-boycott bill is an attempt by the British government to stop public bodies from boycotting Israel, though the proposed legislation would also apply to campaigns against other countries.

It is as yet not law, though on Monday MPs voted to give it its second reading in the House of Commons in an early step in the legislative process.

Featured images: Reem Khabbazy/The New Arab