About 200 people gathered outside City Hall this evening to campaign for peace in the Middle East.

War broke out in Gaza after Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel on October 7 that killed hundreds of civilians, many of them children. The group also took more than 200 Israelis hostage.

Israel subsequently declared war on Hamas and launched reprisal attacks which have reportedly killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, including civilians and children.

Organisers of the Gathering for Gaza had described themselves as “a collective of concerned Bermudian residents” of many faiths and backgrounds who would be calling for an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, and the safe release of Israeli hostages.

At the event, Palestine flags were on display and leaflets listing “decades of oppression” that Arabs in Palestine had endured were available.

Aziza Furbert, one of the organisers, opened proceedings by recounting the events of October 7.

Ms Furbert explained how she “watched in horror as more details about this attack became known”.

“I, like many of you, feel deep sympathy for the people who were killed and the loved ones they left behind. I wish those hostages a safe return to their families,” she said.

Ms Furbert said that the terrorists had targeted Israeli military installations.

It was recently reported by the BBC that the United Nations said the names of 1,159 Israelis and foreign nationals who were killed in the October 7 attack, including 828 civilians, have so far been released by Israeli authorities. Of those whose ages were provided, 31 were children.

Wearing a “Freedom for Palestine” lapel badge, Ms Furbert delivered an emotional condemnation of Israel’s military response.

She said: “The horror we felt learning about the October 7 attack multiplied as the death toll in Gaza quickly surpassed and then doubled and then tripled and then quadrupled without signs of abatement.“

The UN said that an update from the health ministry in Gaza on Friday showed that 11,078 people had been killed in the Strip since October 7.

Ms Furbert claimed that Israel committed “war crimes” after it launched airstrikes against hospitals and food storage depots which left scores of children dead.

She said: “Through tears we watched tiny corpses, some already in body bags.”

“How could we let this happen? How could western governments support this collective punishment and indiscriminate killing of civilians?

“How can it be controversial to call for a ceasefire so that innocent children could survive?

“So here we are, a gathering for Gaza to unite people whose love for humanity compels them to call for a ceasefire.

“This is an opportunity for us to build connections and honour those civilians who have paid the ultimate price simply for existing in the place they lived.”

Ms Furbert said the event “was not a place for ant-Semitism or hate of any kind”.

She said: “It will not be tolerated. This is not a protest. We realise the limitations of our political power in Bermuda. Our focus instead is to support the people here and support peace.

“We must continue to pay attention. While we may not have any direct impact … we do have the unique position to be well-connected to the world.”

“I am so grateful to see a cross section of our community here today … standing up for humanitarianism and peace.”

Community activist Glenn Fubler also spoke.

He said: “People took steps back in the past to make changes. Right now, in this sense of darkness, is a call from the universe to tell us that we have to do something.

“One of the most important things is simply to connect with our neighbours regardless of race, regardless of religious background, regardless of class, regardless of any of those so-called differences that we may have. We need to connect.”

Entertainment was provided by a number of singers and poets before a minute of silence was observed. Candles were then lit in a vigil to remember those that have died.