LONDON

More than 500 pro-Palestine protesters gathered at London Liverpool Street station Tuesday and staged a sit-in protest during rush hour.

The demonstrators filled the station, clapping, cheering and chanting while waving Palestinian flags and temporarily disrupted the evening commute.

The feminist collective Sisters Uncut appeared to be the driving force behind the sit-in, as suggested by their social media posts on platforms like X.

Sisters Uncut, known for their activism on various social justice issues, said that "hundreds of commuters joined" the mass action, which they asserted had "shut down" the station.

However, Network Rail refuted the claims, maintaining that the station remained open without operational disruptions.

The protest also brought together members of various activist groups such as the Palestinian Youth Movement and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.

The organizations added their voices to the calls for an end to international support for Israel's actions in Palestine and an immediate cease-fire.

Chants and slogans echoed through the station, with the phrases like "Palestine will be free" and "cease-fire now" resounding prominently.

The Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the Palestinian resistance group Hamas launched a surprise cross-border attack against Israel on Oct. 7.

The death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has climbed to 8,525, the Health Ministry in the blockaded enclave said Tuesday.

“The victims include 3,542 children and 2,187 women, while 21,543 other people were injured,” ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told a press conference in Gaza City.

More than 1,538 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected growing calls for a cease-fire, saying it would be a "surrender" to Hamas.