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Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched against anti-Semitism and in solidarity with Israel in central London on Sunday. Footage shows demonstrators waving Israeli and British flags as well as banners bearing slogans such as, 'Zero tolerance for antisemites' and 'Shoulder to shoulder with British Jews'. Many carried portraits of Israelis and foreigners held hostage by Hamas. "We come here today to stand in solidarity with the British Jewish community and to say loudly with one voice, you are not alone," said Robert Jenrick, the UK’s Minister for Immigration, who was one of a series of speakers to address the crowds from a stage. As many 100,000 demonstrators are reported to have attended the march in London, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, prolific actors, comedians and other celebrities. The march started outside the Royal Courts of Justice and ended at Parliament Square. On Wednesday, November 22, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day ceasefire and hostage-prisoner swap deal. Under the agreement, 50 hostages would be freed in return for 150 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. The rally in London comes seven weeks after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 according to Israeli officials. Israel declared war on the group and a 'complete siege' of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes. A ground incursion began at the end of the third week, with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' Hamas. Palestinian officials reported that at least 13,000 people had been killed, including more than 8,000 women and children, and more than 25,000 injured at the time of publication. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response. However, United Nations experts warned against 'collective punishment' for the people of Gaza, before predicting a 'humanitarian crisis' and then claimed that 'hell is settling in' for the region.
