Hundreds attend vigil outside Downing Street for Gaza hospital blast victims

Protesters gathered in Westminster holding signs that read ‘stop the massacre’

Hundreds of protesters have attended a vigil outside Downing Street for victims of a deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza.

Hamas has blamed an Israeli air strike for the explosion, which is feared to have killed hundreds, while the Israeli military said the hospital was hit by a rocket misfired by Palestinian militants.

Braving heavy rain on Wednesday evening, protesters gathered in Westminster holding signs that read “stop the massacre” and “stop bombing Gaza”.

They also chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

Prayers were then held in Arabic, with attendees laying out plastic sheets on the ground to pray on.

Hundreds of protestors gathered outside Downing Street (Getty)

Among the attendees was Marja Carter, 26, who said the events of the past week have been “devastating”.

“Events in Gaza have been absolutely devastating,” she said.

(REUTERS)

“I find it absolutely disgraceful that our Government has been so unable to take a stand.”

She said that Palestinians in Gaza have “suffered enough”.

“We cannot continue to ignore the situation any longer.

“I feel like our Government only cares about it when it spills over into their strategic interests.”

(Getty Images)

A British-Palestinian woman, who did not wish to be named, said she was at the vigil to “mourn”.

“We are half-Palestinian, our family are from the West Bank,” she said.

“We are here to mourn everyone who has died in the last week, and since the beginning of the occupation.”

She said that the vigil felt “sad and cathartic”.

She added that the Government needs to “wake up and acknowledge our humanity”.

Another attendee, Hannah, 27, said that the British Government must hold Israel accountable.

“I think they can hold the Israeli Government accountable a bit more, and ask them more difficult questions,” she said.

“They say that they don’t control the media but they could encourage the media to show both sides more honestly.”