Islamophobic hate crimes soar amid Israel war on Gaza: London police

There has been a 140 percent increase in lslamophobic hate crimes in the British capital amid the brutal Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, London’s Metropolitan police said.

Between October 1 and 18, the Metropolitan Police recorded 103 Islamophobic incidents in  London, up from 42 across the same period last year.

Police said a man was arrested for 10 alleged incidents of Islamophobic graffiti at bus stops in New Malden and Raynes Park, south London.

“Regrettably, despite the increased presence of officers we have seen a significant increase in hate crime across London," police said in a statement on Friday.

"This includes abuse directed at individuals or groups in person or online, racially or religiously motivated criminal damage and other offences."

TellMama, which monitors anti-Muslim incidents, said it had received 200 cases up to October 16.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan also confirmed that the war on Gaza "is having a direct impact on London and Londoners, with increasing cases of abhorrent Islamophobia and anti-semitism seen in the capital."

Police said there had been 218 anti-semitic offences between October 1 and 18, compared to 15 in the same period in 2022.

The Israeli regime launched its deadly bombing campaign over the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian resistance group Hamas waged Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying regime.

Well over 4,100 Palestinians have so far been killed across the Strip, according to figures from the health ministry. Nearly 13,500 individuals have also been injured. 

Ever since reports of Islamophobic acts and attacks on pro-Palestine activists have been growing across the world.

Observers say Muslims — especially women wearing a hijab — have been insulted and attacked on the streets.  

Earlier this week, a six-year-old Palestinian boy was murdered in cold blood by his landlord in the United States.

Police in southwestern Chicago charged 71-year-old Joseph M. Czuba with murder and hate crime on Monday for fatally stabbing Wadea al-Fayoume, and seriously wounding his 32-year-old mother on Sunday.

 Czuba, the landlord, entered the apartment and stabbed the little boy 26 times.

The gruesome murder of the child came days after President Joe Biden of the United States claimed that he saw pictures of beheaded children following a Hamas operation in Israel.

The White House walked back the president’s claim, with the Washington Post citing from the White House that Biden based his comments on the claims from Israel's Prime minister's spokesman and media reports.

However, Biden's remarks were featured on the front pages of Western newspapers.

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