Newcastle City Council has voted to erect a memorial honouring the victims of the genocide in Gaza. The stone tribute is expected to be installed within the Peace Garden at Newcastle Civic Centre later this year. The memorial will sit alongside similar commemorations already installed within the garden. When completed, this will become the first Palestinian memorial of its kind in the UK and Europe.

The proposal – initiated by the Palestinian community in the city, led by Mohammed Wafi, alongside a number of councillors – also includes planting an olive tree at the Civic Centre. It reflects the deepening ties between the British and Palestinian people and the growing solidarity with Palestinian rights and justice for the victims.

Councillor Habib Rahman, a former lord mayor of Newcastle, said that the cost of the memorial and tree planting would be covered entirely by the community. Rahman, who left the Labour Party over Gaza and now sits as an independent, said: “I am immensely proud of the work undertaken to establish the Peace Garden. As a City of Sanctuary, it is fitting that Newcastle has a dedicated space for remembrance and reflection. It reflects our city’s long-standing tradition of solidarity, our stance against genocide and war, and our commitment to empathy and remembrance.”