Protestors from across Lancashire march in Preston calling for a ceasefire in Gaza
Protestors from across Lancashire have taken part in a march to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
It was organised by 'Children of the Ghetto', a campaigning network in Preston which organises protests about Palestine.
The march included children from towns in Lancashire who were holding shrouds to represent the young Palestinian victims of the conflict.
The procession stopped at the town's Flag Market where a Palestinian flag was flown on a 6 metre pole.
Shaheen Osmani from Blackburn4Palestine said "For months now the Israelis have bombed schools, hospitals, churches and mosques and killed men women and children."
"We've come from Blackburn to add our voice to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire."
The event is supported by Lancaster4Palestine, Blackburn4Palestine, Chorley4Palestine, Accrington4Palestine, Stop the War, Lancashire Council of Mosques, Lancs Association of Trades Union Council, and Friends of Al-Aqsa alongside other organisations.
Representatives from Preston, Blackburn, Lancaster, Burnley, Accrington, Rossendale and Chorley have all taken part.
The March began at Moor Park, along Deepdale Road and through to Church Street.
Eugine Doherty, Chair of Lancaster and Morecombe Trades Council said: “We are travelling in a car-convoy from Lancaster to join the demonstration. It's vital that the people of Lancashire come together to demand an end to the Israeli attacks."
The Israel military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign to destroy Hamas after its gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October and took 253 back to Gaza as hostages.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says at least 30,410 people, including 21,000 children and women, have been killed in Gaza since then with some 7,000 missing and 71,700 injured.
Pressure for a ceasefire has grown after warnings from aid organisations that there is a risk of famine in northern Gaza.
The US military has dropped thousands of food and aid pallets over Gaza, two days after more than 100 Palestinians were killed whilst pulling supplies from an aid truck.
Senior US officials have confirmed that Israel has endorsed a proposed framework for a six-week ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza.
International mediators have been working for weeks to broker a deal to pause the fighting before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins.
Neither Israel nor Hamas are yet to publicly confirm the deal.
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