173 health workers in medical scrubs will kneel down in powerful vigil to highlight plight of Palestinian healthcare workers detained by Israeli forces

Event will include call for release of Dr Khaled Al Serr, a surgeon detained by Israeli forces at the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in March

Medical workers will also call for an immediate suspension of UK arms transfers to Israel

Amnesty International UK and Healthworkers 4 Palestine will stage a mass solidarity protest outside St Thomas’ Hospital in central London on Friday 30 August (6:30pm) to highlight the ongoing ordeal of 173 Palestinian medical workers being held without charge or trial by the Israeli authorities, the majority from Gaza.

The stunt, being held on International Day of the Disappeared, will see 173 people in distinctive medical scrubs kneeling down - a visual allusion to disturbing images which have emerged from Gaza of Palestinian detainees being detained by Israeli forces.

The healthcare workers will hold aloft A4-sized letters spelling out “FREE GAZA MEDICS” and will also display the names and professions of some of the detained Palestinians.

Other placards will say “Free Dr Khaled Al Serr”. Dr Al Serr is a Palestinian surgeon from the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis who was detained by Israeli forces on 24 March. Like most of the medical health professionals currently held, the Israeli authorities have refused to reveal Dr Al Serr’s whereabouts or explain the legal basis on which he is being detained. Amnesty considers that Dr Al Serr is being held in circumstances amounting to enforced disappearance and has called for his release.

Despite a large body of evidence that Israeli forces are committing war crimes in Gaza amid mounting signs of genocide, the UK has refused to halt arms transfers to Israel. Medics at the protest will call for an immediate suspension of UK arms transfers to Israel, holding aloft “STOP ARMING ISRAEL” placards.

Details of protest

WHO:173 UK healthcare workers, including Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, Dr Khaled Dawas, Amira Nimerawi, Dr Rebecca Inglis, Prof Nick Maynard, Dr Deborah Harrington and Dr James Smith (these will be available for interview)

WHAT: solidarity protest for detained Palestinian medical workers, with a call for a halt to UK arms exports

WHERE: square on the corner of Royal Street and Lambeth Palace Road, opposite A&E entrance of St Thomas’ Hospital, London SE1 7EQ

WHEN: Friday 30 August 2024, 18:30 (duration of approximately 30 minutes)