Metropolitan Police (MET) officers face Pro-Palestinian supporters during a "Hands off Rafah, End the genocide" rally in central London, on May 28, 2024, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, following Israel's attack in Rafah. Israel launched its controversial assault on Rafah earlier this month of May 2024, dismissing concerns for the safety of the 1.4 million Palestinian civilians then sheltering in the city. The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,096 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)