Pro-Israel campaigners have put up posters condemning Hamas and calling for the return of hostages across London’s Tube network on the anniversary of the terror attack.
The images mock up a Tube network map for Gaza made with Hamas underground tunnels, with lines labelled “Hostage Execution Tunnel” and “Hamas Rape Tunnel” among others.
The “Gaza Underground” posters add: “On October 7th 2023 Hamas murdered hundreds and kidnapped hundreds.
“The UK Government must do all it can to ensure the release of 100 hostages, still unaccounted for after 365 days of terror.”
The posters, understood to be unauthorised by TfL, have been spotted in several major Tube stations such as King’s Cross, Old Street and South Kensington, and as far afield as Redbridge.
In a statement, the group behind the posters, London Against Hamas, said: “On the first anniversary of the unimaginable horrors committed by Hamas murderers on October 7th 2024, the tunnels of London Underground today have featured maps showing that terror organisation's Rape Tunnels of Gaza.
“Trains on every Underground line now feature "Gaza Underground" maps, reminding Londoners for what appalling purposes Hamas have created their subterranean network - rape, murder, torture, further terrorist activities - as supporters call for the UK Government to do everything to ensure the release of the 100 hostages still unaccounted for after 365 days.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged ahead of the anniversary on Monday to “stand with the Jewish community” and described the Hamas attacks as “the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust”.
He said the “collective grief has not diminished” in the year since the attacks.
“One year on from these horrific attacks we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a country. We must never look the other way in the face of hate,” the Prime Minister said.
The surprise cross-border attack killed more than 1,200 people, with hundreds of hostages taken.
In response, Israel launched a war in Gaza with the aim of degrading Hamas, with a new ground offensive over its northern border with Lebanon targeting Hezbollah also ongoing.
Nearly 42,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
London’s transport network has often been used by activists to express their views on the conflict in the Middle East with unauthorised flyers.
In October last year, TfL removed “unauthorised” Palestinian flags from lampposts on Tower Hamlets’ Bow Road, while unofficial ads posted on the Tube network last year raising concerns about the impact of the conflict on LGBT+ Palestinians were also removed.
A TfL spokesperson said: “These posters were not authorised by TfL or our advertising partners and we have instructed our teams and contractors to remove any that are found on our network."
