Police in London have said that five people had been charged after their arrest during pro-Palestinian protests a day earlier, which saw tens of thousands march for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

The Metropolitan Police arrested nine people on Sunday — two on suspicion of assaulting police officers and seven for public order offences.

A further two people were arrested on Sunday morning, suspected of inciting racial hatred following an incident in Trafalgar Square on Saturday evening, the Met said in a statement.

Among the five charged, aged between 16 and 51, two were accused of racially aggravated offences, including the display of a placard that was "threatening and racist in nature".

The others were accused of throwing a beer can at a protester and verbal and physical assaults on police officers.

'March for Palestine'

About 100,000 people joined the "March for Palestine" in London on Saturday according to British media, which also reported scuffles with police.

It was the third consecutive weekend that London hosted a large rally in support of Palestinians since October 7, when Israel began a heavy bombardment of Gaza following a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza has risen to 8,005, including 3,342 children, 2,062 women, and 460 elderly people, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the besieged enclave.

Organisers claimed that 500,000 people took part this Saturday, compared with 300,000 a week ago.

London's Metropolitan Police deployed more than 1,000 officers to patrol the march.