London Street Outside Israeli Embassy Renamed to 'Genocide Avenue'
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Campaigners from Amnesty International UK have renamed the road outside the Israeli embassy in London "Genocide Avenue" to draw attention to mounting concerns about Israeli genocide in Gaza.
The renaming coincides with Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, updating the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on the Gaza situation, stating that "there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating Israel's commission of genocide is met" in relation to Gaza.
This street renaming follows the International Court of Justice's statement two months ago, indicating "plausible" grounds to suspect Israel of genocidal acts in Gaza.
During the stunt, authentic-looking London street signs were attached to lamp posts in Palace Green, outside the embassy in the Kensington area, by a figure wearing a Benjamin Netanyahu face mask. Campaigners also displayed placards saying "Prevent Genocide," "We can't say we didn't know," "Ceasefire NOW," and "End Israeli Apartheid."
Afterward, campaigners attempted to deliver a letter to the embassy from Amnesty UK's Chief Executive Sacha Deshmukh outlining concerns over the Gaza crisis. However, police officers outside the embassy informed Amnesty that the embassy would not accept the letter.
Amnesty has urged Israel to lift its 17-year blockade on Gaza, which it has condemned as a war crime and part of Israel's apartheid system against Palestinians. Additionally, Israel, as the occupying power, must support a significant emergency relief effort in Gaza and fully cooperate with international justice mechanisms such as the International Court of Justice genocide case and the International Criminal Court's investigations into serious human rights violations in Palestine.
While Israel has rejected the world court's interim findings, there are growing international concerns that Israel's continuous bombing and ground attacks in Gaza, along with its restrictions on food and humanitarian aid, may amount to genocide in Gaza.
In the last 24 hours, Rafah in southern Gaza has faced devastating attacks, resulting in the loss of 24 lives, predominantly women and children. The injured are being rushed to Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital and the Kuwaiti Hospital. However, due to the overwhelming number of casualties, many wounded individuals are left untreated, bleeding for hours before receiving medical attention.
In central Gaza, the Bureij camp has also been struck by Israeli bombings, leading to the deaths of five individuals. Numerous injured victims have been transported to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. However, the hospital is facing severe challenges, including a shortage of medical supplies and inadequate medical personnel.
Despite a UN ceasefire resolution, the relentless Israeli airstrikes show no sign of abating, continuing to inflict destruction upon the Gaza Strip. Since October 7 last year, Israel's attacks have resulted in the deaths of at least 32,414 Palestinians and left over 74,780 wounded in Gaza. There doesn’t seem to be anything that will stop Israel from continuing its massacre against the civilians in the Gaza Strip.
