Israel-Palestine 'All children are innocent' mural in Shoreditch defaced

A new Israel-Palestine peace mural painted on a street in east London has been defaced.

Circle of Toys, the charity behind the mural, said it wanted to highlight the innocent children who have lost their lives on both sides of the conflict.

Located at Old Street junction in Shoreditch the mural depicts two girls, one holding a teddy and waving an Israeli flag and the other waving a Palestinian flag, with the hashtag #AllChildrenAreInnocent.

The graffiti reads 'Palestinian children killed since 07.09.23 11,500' and 'Funded by your taxes. Murder is murder'.

The spray paint alludes to September 7 2023, which is likely to be a reference to October 7 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel.

Dozens of children were killed and kidnapped in the Hamas terrorist attacks, and more than 10,000 are thought to have died in Israel's strikes in Gaza.

Circle of Toys was launched in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has helped thousands of gift-givers send pre-loved toys to Ukrainian children suffering due to conflict.

The charity says it seeks to help all children who are suffering from war-torn conflict, and since launching has already seen requests come through from Israel and the West Bank.

Following news of the vandalism, the founder of Circle of Toys, Arthur Corvin Powells, said "this reaction shows even more the importance of shifting the focus away from the political debate and instead onto the future for the children".

The charity added that the mural may be cleaned or re-painted and that it was in talks with the mural artists to decide its next steps.