London activists escalate protests against Israel’s Gaza war as Netanyahu faces ICC scrutiny, amid a fragile ceasefire, renewed clashes and deepening humanitarian concerns..reports Asian Lite News
Posters portraying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a wanted war crimes suspect have appeared across London, as pro-Palestine activists intensified efforts to draw public attention to allegations linked to the Gaza conflict and an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
Campaigners plastered the posters on buses, lamp posts and prominent public spaces, including busy high streets and transport hubs, transforming parts of the capital into a visual protest against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The posters feature Netanyahu’s image alongside text referencing an ICC arrest warrant issued in November 2024, which accuses him of war crimes and crimes against humanity over actions taken since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023.
Activists involved in the campaign said the aim was to ensure that the allegations against the Israeli leader were not overlooked by the international community. They argued that political leaders accused of grave violations of international law should face scrutiny regardless of diplomatic status or alliances. One organiser was quoted as saying that London had been chosen deliberately because of its global visibility and historic role in international diplomacy.
Activists involved in the campaign said the aim was to ensure that the allegations against the Israeli leader were not overlooked by the international community.
The protest comes against the backdrop of mounting humanitarian concerns in Gaza. Palestinian health authorities and international agencies estimate that more than 71,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed over nearly two years of conflict. Although a ceasefire came into effect on October 10, campaigners and aid groups say Israel’s military operations have not fully stopped and that living conditions in the enclave remain dire.
According to humanitarian organisations, agreed levels of food, medical supplies, temporary housing and fuel have not consistently entered Gaza, leaving large sections of the population displaced and dependent on emergency aid. Activists behind the London campaign said the posters were intended to keep public focus on what they described as an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe rather than a conflict that has faded from headlines.
The protest unfolded as tensions on the ground escalated once again. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Hamas had continued to violate a US-backed 20-point peace plan advocated by President Donald Trump. In a public statement, Netanyahu said the militant group’s refusal to disarm constituted a flagrant breach of the ceasefire agreement and warned that Israel would respond.
He was quoted as saying that Hamas’s actions, including the detonation of an improvised explosive device that wounded an Israeli soldier, confirmed its continued violent intentions. Netanyahu added that the ceasefire terms required Hamas’s removal from governance, demilitarisation and de-radicalisation.
The incident he referred to occurred in southern Gaza near Rafah, where an explosive device detonated against an Israeli armoured personnel carrier, lightly injuring an officer from the Golani Brigade. The Israel Defense Forces said the officer was taken to hospital and his family informed. It remains unclear whether the explosive was newly planted or an older device left behind in the area.
Israeli military officials said the vehicle was operating in Rafah’s Jenina neighbourhood, an area near the Yellow Line dividing Hamas-controlled territory from Israeli-held zones. The army said it had been conducting operations to dismantle Hamas infrastructure and locate tunnel networks believed to have sheltered dozens of operatives.
Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of breaching the ceasefire that halted large-scale fighting triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. While the first phase of the truce brought a reduction in hostilities, sporadic clashes have continued, particularly along contested border areas.
Netanyahu is expected to travel to Florida in the coming days to meet President Trump, where discussions are likely to focus on the fragile ceasefire and the next phase of negotiations. Meanwhile, activists in London say their campaign will continue, insisting that accountability for alleged war crimes must remain part of the global conversation.
