London, May 18 (RHC)-- Thousands of pro-Palestine supporters demonstrated in London on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the 1948 Nakba.

"Nakba" or "catastrophe" is a reference to the forced removal of an estimated 750,000 Palestinians from their homes when Israel was founded after the Second World War.

The protest, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, saw demonstrators walk from Embankment to Downing Street as they called on the UK government to "take action to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land".

The protest came as Israeli forces have ramped up a bombing campaign in Gaza and mobilised for a massive new ground assault.  More than 150 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

Israel's army said in a post on X on Saturday that it was intensifying attacks and exerting "tremendous pressure" on Hamas across the strip. It said it will not stop until the hostages are returned and Hamas dismantled.

Israel and Hamas have said ceasefire talks resumed in Doha on Saturday morning, even as Israel's genocidal air strikes continued.

[ SOURCE:  REUTERS and NEWS AGENCIES ]