Assault on London Woman Waving Palestinian Flag Leaves Her Injured
Assailant Verbally and Physically Attacks Victim Outside Victoria Station After Large Pro-Palestine Gathering
A young British woman, carrying a Palestinian flag, fell victim to a physical and verbal assault on Saturday in central London, amidst a reported increase in hate crimes.
Witnesses informed Anadolu that an unidentified man outside Victoria underground station attacked the woman, causing an injury to her wrist, following a large pro-Palestinian rally. They reported that the man attempted to kick the flag, leaving the woman visibly shaken.
Several bystanders rushed to assist the victim, providing comfort before reporting the incident to the staff at Victoria Station. Two police officers arrived at the scene approximately 10 minutes later, documenting details about the incident and the assailant.
The woman displayed her injured hand to the officers, an injury sustained during the altercation. This incident occurred just one day after the Metropolitan Police noted a “significant increase” in hate crimes across London in light of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
According to an official statement, “Between 1 October and 18 October, we saw 218 antisemitic offences compared to 15 in the same period last year. Similarly, we saw an increase in Islamophobic offences from 42 to 101,” representing a 1,353% and 140% increase in these respective figures.
The conflict in Gaza was initiated by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas with Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-faceted surprise attack involving a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air, resulting in over 1,400 casualties.
Hamas stated that this incursion was in response to the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and escalating violence by Israeli settlers. In retaliation, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron, targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and intensified raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank.
In addition to an extensive bombing campaign in anticipation of a ground invasion, Israel imposed a “full siege” on Gaza, leading to the severance of electricity supplies as essential resources such as water, food, fuel, and medical supplies dwindle.
To date, over 4,385 Palestinians, including 1,756 children, have lost their lives in Israeli attacks on Gaza. The corresponding figure in Israel stands at over 1,400.
