Palestinians went through the “darkest moment” in the past 12 months in their enduring struggle for liberation, according to the head of Europe’s largest Palestinian rights organization.

For Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal, the rallies across the UK are “unprecedented” in British history.

“This genocide is built on the foundations of more than 76 years of oppression by the Israeli state of the Palestinian people through mechanisms of ethnic cleansing, colonization, military occupation and imposition of a system of apartheid,” he was quoted as saying by the Anadolu Agency.

“This is a moment of reflection, a moment of deep sorrow. It’s a moment where we acknowledge the strength of the Palestinian people and their ongoing resilience,” he said.

“But it’s a moment of deep shame for our government, for the international community, that they have allowed this to occur, that they have not made Israel pay the cost for its crimes.”