Children joined thousands of other protesters who made their way through central London in a pro-Palestinian march today, Saturday, as part of a global day of action against the longest bloody war between Israel and the Palestinians in 75 years.

The plight of children in the Gaza Strip after almost 100 days of confrontation between Israel and Hamas was another focus of the march in London, symbolized by the appearance of "Little Amal," a 3.5-meter (11.5-foot) puppet originally aimed at highlighting the suffering of Syrian refugees.

The puppet became a symbol of human rights during a journey of 8,000 kilometers (4,970 miles) from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2001.

Nearly two-thirds of the 23,843 people killed during the Israeli campaign on Gaza were women and children, according to the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-administered territories.

Israel declared war in response to the unprecedented attack launched by Hamas across the border on October 7, in which the Islamic armed group killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 250 others hostage; this attack was the deadliest in Israel's history and the deadliest against Jews since the Holocaust.

The march organizers said Palestinian children would accompany Little Amal through the streets of central London.

Amir Nizar Zaabi, the artistic director of The Walk Productions, said: "Amal walks on Saturday for the most vulnerable people and for their courage and resilience." "Amal is a child and a refugee, and today in Gaza childhood is under attack, with countless children killed, childhood itself targeted, and that is why we march.

The Metropolitan Police said about 1,700 officers would be on duty to participate in the march, including many from outside the capital.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley updated him on the plans to "ensure order and safety" during the protest.

Cleverly said: "I support them in using their powers to manage the protest and suppress any crime."

A number of conditions were set for the march, including the directive not to allow any protest participant to approach the Israeli embassy.

A pro-Israel march is scheduled to be held in London on Sunday.

The London march was one of several other marches organized in European cities including Paris, Rome, Milan, and Dublin where thousands also walked along the main road in the Irish capital to protest the Israeli military operations in the Palestinian sector.

Protesters waved Palestinian flags, carried signs criticizing the Irish, American, and Israeli governments, and chanted "Free Palestine, free