Belfast rally in support of Palestinians hears calls for Gaza ceasefire

Protesters gathered in Writer's Square in the city centre and walked along Royal Avenue to City Hall

About 3,000 protesters gathered in Belfast city centre for a rally organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign on Saturday.

It follows the upsurge in conflict between Hamas and Israel in the Middle East in the past three weeks.

A number of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations have been held in Belfast since the violence erupted.

On Saturday protesters gathered at Writer's Square to show their support for the Palestinian people.

They then walked along Royal Avenue to the City Hall.

Rallies also took place in other parts of the UK, including London, Manchester and Glasgow.

Speakers included a number of politicians, Rev Bill Shaw and Dr Hani Mandhi who has family in Gaza

The demonstrations came as Israel expands its strikes on Gaza from land, sea and air, three weeks after Hamas launched an attack on its territory.

Hamas launched a surprise assault on Israel on 7 October, killing more than 1,400 people and taking more than 220 hostages.

Since that attack, Israel has been carrying out retaliatory strikes. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says the Israeli bombardments have killed more than 7,600 people.

Speakers at the Belfast rally included Sinn Féin's Declan Kearney, the SDLP's Paul Doherty, the Green Party's Anthony Flynn and Gerry Carroll from People Before Profit.

Declan Kearney says his party stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people

A handful of protesters briefly heckled Mr Kearney, claiming Sinn Féin should be more robustly challenging the US government's policy on the Middle East.

One man shouted: "This a defining moment for Sinn Féin."

Stewards asked for respect for all speakers and the heckling stopped.

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Mr Kearney, Sinn Féin's national chairperson, later defended his party's policy on the Middle East.

He told BBC News NI: "Sinn Féin's position is consistent on Palestine and has been for decades. We stand with the Palestinian people, we stand in solidarity with them.

"What the Palestinian people need to hear from Belfast today is an unequivocal assertion that there must be an immediate unconditional ceasefire and an urgent resolution of the humanitarian catastrophe which is taking place."

His party colleague, North Belfast MP John Finucane, spoke at Saturday's rally in London.

Calling for an immediate ceasefire and the return of hostages, Mr Finucane said the Israeli government "must grant access and safety to the UN and other humanitarian agencies to fulfil their duties".

"Our message to the Israeli government is clear and simple - stop. Stop the bombing of Gaza. Stop the blockade of Gaza," he added.

The first speaker at the Belfast rally was Dr Hani Mahdi, who works in the city and has family in Gaza.

Dr Hani Mahdi says a ceasefire is needed in Gaza

Dr Madhi told BBC News NI that 13 members of his extended family had died in Gaza in recent weeks.

"I don't know what's going on with my remaining family members because the communication in Gaza is cut off," he said.

"We need there to be a ceasefire, we need there to be peace."

Another speaker was the Rev Bill Shaw, an ordained Presbyterian minister who now leads a community development organisation in north Belfast.

In Dublin, several thousand people gathered beside the United States embassy on Saturday in protest at US support for Israel, accusing it of complicity in Israeli attacks on Gaza, Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports.

The protests follow similar rallies in Britain and Ireland last weekend.