A vigil for Palestinians killed during the ongoing conflict in the region was held in Welshpool, organised by local groups calling for a ceasefire.

On Monday, November 13, about 20 campaigners lined up outside Welshpool Town Hall to hold a vigil for Palestinian civilians who died in recent weeks. As many as 1,200 Israeli civilians and 11,000 Palestinian civilians are thought to have died since the conflict began.

The vigil started at 11am with a speech from Kathy Brooks, the chair of Montgomeryshire Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).

This was followed by 20 minutes of silent reflection by attendees and another reading from a PSC member, listing the names of children killed in airstrikes in Gaza.

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Ms Brooks said: “Every humanitarian will be appalled, horrified and heartbroken at the scenes we are witnessing after the severe escalation of violence in the past weeks.

“Acts of violence must be judged within the framework of international law, which makes clear that the deliberate killing of civilians, hostage-taking, collective punishment and laying siege to a population are all illegal and are war crimes.

"Over half the hospitals in Gaza are out of service and people are dying because their severe burns cannot be treated.

“We act from a wish to see an end to all violence, especially violence against civilians. But this will never be achieved unless the root causes of that violence are addressed."

The group added that the event was "generally well received" by passers by, with waves and thumbs up from passing cars, though one person reportedly "expressed their distaste". 

David France, Welshpool Town Councillor, said: “I joined today’s vigil because I couldn’t sit and do nothing, knowing what’s happening.

“If you squeezed Wales’ entire population into a six-mile-wide strip between Welshpool and Llandrindod Wells, it would have the population density of Gaza. What those people are facing right now is beyond terrible.

“If the UK has learned anything about conflict in the past twenty years, it’s that ground invasions don’t fight terrorism. They cause immense suffering and death, and just make the underlying tensions worse."