More than 60 people gathered in Abergavenny on Saturday, October 21 to protest the violence in Gaza.

Organised by Abergavenny and District Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the peaceful protest was held displaying the slogans “End All Violence” and “Ceasefire Now.”

One of the organisers said: “We are doing this to try and put into context what is going on in Gaza. 

“The on-going, 16 year Israeli siege of the Gazza strip where Palestinians have no rights of movement and no control of essential resources such as water, electricity and fuel.”

They added: “The UN previously described Gaza as an open air prison and said that life in Gaza would become unsustainable by 2020.”

The most recent conflict between Israel and Palestine began on Saturday, October 7 when the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, invaded communities near the Gaza strip. 

This attack resulted in more than 1,400 Israelis killed and 220 soldiers and civilians taken to Gaza as hostages, according to the Israeli military. 

Following this, the Israeli military carried out air and artillery strikes, killing more than 5,000 Palestinians in Gaza and cutting off electricity, most of the water and preventing the importation of food and medicine. 

Gaza is a Palestinian City ruled by Hamas, an islamist group, who won the last election in 2005 and gained control the following year.

Although it has Palestinian Authority, Gaza’s air, sea and land borders are still controlled by Israel which has made living conditions difficult. 

Gaza is one of the most densely populated territories with more than two million inhabitants in the small, 25 mile long and just over 6 mile wide, area. 

The Israel-Palestine conflict is rooted in historical, territorial, and political factors. It involves disputes over land, the displacement of Palestinians, ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, security concerns, and religious dimensions. 

Numerous peace efforts have been unsuccessful, leading to ongoing tensions and violence.