Crowds gathered at a vigil organised by health professionals in a show of solidarity with colleagues who have been killed working in Gaza.

More than 200 people attended the vigil at Oxford's Radcliffe Square, organised by medics but promoted by the Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association, the Oxford Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Organisers handed out 148 sheets of paper, each with the names of the deceased for the public to hold up during the vigil. 

The names of 148 Palestinian healthcare workers were then read aloud which took over five minutes. 

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Speeches were given by Oxford-based medics Nick Maynard, a consultant surgeon, and Jane Crawley, a paediatrician.

Both have worked with healthcare professionals and taught medical students in Gaza.

Prof Maynard read out the words of a Gazan friend and healthcare professional who wished to remain anonymous. 

The man said he was having to use a car battery to charge his phone in order to communicate with Prof Maynard and the outside world.

He said: “There is a lot of suffering, challenges and difficulties. Unfortunately, every time we live in war, we try to live with minimal losses. 

“The occupation cut off the internet and communication, and we live in difficult times because we are isolated from the world.

“I feel helpless in front of the children.”

Prof Maynard was due to leave for Gaza today for a week-long teaching trip he and his team take annually. The trip was cancelled this year.

He said: “Every single doctor and nurse I have spoken to in Gaza in the last few weeks has either had a close relative or close friend killed. 

“Today was deeply emotional and it was very, very moving hearing the names of the healthcare workers being read out. 

“It is wonderful to see our medical students and young doctors having such passion and supporting these poor people in Gaza who have been killed.”

Tabitha Thornton-Swan, a final-year medical student at Oxford University helped organise the event. 

She read a poem by Palestinian writer Mahmoud Darwish called Think Of Others.

Ms Thornton-Swan said: “We felt it was really important to pay attention to the humanitarian impact.

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“Each of these numbers is a person having an unimaginable time and we thought it was important to recognise this.”

Israel launched airstrikes and ground operations against Gaza after Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel and murdered 1,400 people on October 7.

More than 200 hostages were also captured and taken into Gaza.

The Israeli government claims it has been targeting Hamas infrastructure and seeking to minimise civilian deaths.

However, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began.