PALESTINIAN rights campaigners will gather across Britain on Saturday to protest against this country’s complicity in arming Israel. 

The day of action comes on the sixth anniversary of Israel’s 51-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which killed 2,200 people — nearly a quarter of them children.

Israeli forces attacked densely populated civilian areas, destroying 18,000 residential units and leaving over 100,000 Palestinians homeless.

Nonetheless, between 2014 and 2018, Britain licensed exports of military equipment and technology worth a total of £364 million to Israel, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade.

Britain continues to buy high-tech weaponry from Israel that it advertises as battle-tested on Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the latest Israeli military offensive has now been pounding Gaza with air strikes and artillery for more than 10 days.

Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Norma Turner said: “Today, we are calling on people to not just demonstrate but head straight for those most complicit in these crimes, especially the arms factories and offices of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons-maker, which makes the majority of the drones that kill so many Palestinians. 

“Companies like Elbit shouldn’t be profiting, they should be punished and banished, given the murder and injury their weapons are being used for.”

Adie Mormech of Manchester Palestine Action warned that Israel is using Gaza as a laboratory for the development of its weapons. 

He said: “Just like for the fight against apartheid South Africa, we must stand in the way of such a grotesque industry that thrives on the devastation, loss and trauma that people like the Palestinians face every single day.”

A full list of demonstrations can be found here: palestinecampaign.org/events/stop-arming-israel-national-day-of-action-2/