5 days ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
'Camp Gaza' organisers invite public along for 24-hour fundraiser in aid of Palestinians
The event was organised by Derry IPSC (Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign) who said it was an opportunity to 'turn our support into action and stand in unity under the stars for justice and peace.'
It comes as Hamas says it has submitted to the mediators its response on a United States proposal for a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Under the deal, 10 living Israeli captives held in Gaza will be freed and 18 bodies returned in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, according to the group.
The United Nations says the besieged Gaza Strip is the 'hungriest place on Earth', adding that the territory's entire 2.3 million people face 'catastrophic hunger'.
Catherine Hutton from Derry IPSC posted a video online saying: 'We're down here at our camp out for Palestine today at Free Derry Corner.
'Please come along if you can, come and support us. We're raising money for Fund a Food Drop and also for the Hind Rajab Foundation and we'd love people to come along and join in and show some solidarity with us.
'You don't have to stay out all night, you can just come along and support us and if any of these are singers or musicians, if you would like to join us as well and share a few tunes with us.
'We have lots of merch here and we have tea, coffee and some food and plenty of people to sit and talk to and to share in the solidarity that we're showing today for the people of Gaza.'
Councillors in attendance included Shaun Harkin from People Before Profit, Independent republican Gary Donnelly and Catherine McDaid from the SDLP.
Mrs McDaid said: 'It shouldn't matter what your political beliefs are… We're all human and this is a genocide.'
Veteran socialist and the man responsible for coining the phrase, 'You are now entering Free Derry' which was painted on the former gable wall, was in attendance too.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 54,381 Palestinians and wounded 124,054, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The Government Media Office updated its death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.
An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive.
