Tens of thousands of Londoners took to the streets on Saturday to protest the United Kingdom’s support for Israel's military actions in Gaza. Marching through the heart of London towards parliament, demonstrators, under heavy Metropolitan Police presence, held banners and chanted slogans such as "End the genocide" and "No Middle East war." They demanded the UK government halt its weapons sales to Israel, whose military actions in Gaza have resulted in over 39,550 Palestinian deaths since October.
For the past ten months, major protests across the UK have called for an immediate stop to arms sales to Israel. Despite widespread calls for action, a report from The Times indicated that any potential suspension of arms sales by Britain would be decided later this summer. The delay stems from ministers' efforts to identify specific weapons linked to war crimes in Gaza.
Data from the government’s business department in June revealed that over 100 export licenses for weapons and military equipment to Israel have been issued since the onset of the conflict.