Hundreds take to the streets of Cork city for 35th weekly peace in Gaza rally

Around 900 people took to the streets of Cork city this afternoon for the 35th weekly Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign march, again calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Speakers at the event included Professor Nick Maynard of Medical Aid for Palestinians and Palestinian journalist Walaa Sabah, who is a founder member of the Palestinian youth NGO We Are Not Numbers. 

Having recently returned from Gaza Mr Maynard, a doctor who volunteers at Gaza hospitals, described the situation there as “apocalyptic."

During his speech Mr Maynard said that he was unable to save several Palestinian lives due to complications with malnourishment, and that as many as 260,000 excess deaths in Gaza are predicted because of starvation and the destruction of the healthcare system.

Executions

He further described executions by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) , including the shooting dead of 20 border officials at the Rafah crossing with Egypt on the day Israel invaded Rafah.

Professor Maynard had been working at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in January when he and other staff, together with 600 patients, were ordered to leave by the IDF.

He has also worked in Al-Shifa Hospital, unequivocally refuting the Israeli claim that Hamas had used the hospital as a base.

In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, Mr Maynard said that he will keep returning to Gaza as a witness and an advocate for Palestinians trapped in a genocide.

In her address, Ms Sabah read from a message sent to her by a late friend in Gaza.

'I am dying slowly,' he wrote, as he waited kidney dialysis treatment which had been severely reduced due to electricity shortages.

Ms Sabah she has lost several family members in Gaza, reiterating her call on people in Ireland to sustain their protests.

“What you do here is heard in Gaza,” said Ms Sabah.

Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign co-chair, Kathy Glavanis, also spoke at today’s event, sharing her criticism of some media coverage of the Israeli war in Gaza, which was the theme of the demonstration.