Thousands of demonstrators are expected to converge on central London tomorrow to demand a ceasefire in Gaza amid growing international anger over Israel's week-long bombardment.

The singer Annie Lennox, the former mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, comedian Alexei Sayle, Palestinian solidarity groups, Muslim organisations, the Stop the War Coalition and several MPs are among those backing the midday march from Embankment to Trafalgar Square.

Since Israeli air strikes started there have been daily protests outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington, west London, where large numbers have forced the closure of nearby streets. A rally was held outside the Egyptian embassy in Mayfair /today to call for the opening of the Gaza-Egypt border, allowing the delivery of more humanitarian supplies.

Other supporters of /tommorrow's mass protest include the former model Bianca Jagger, Tony Benn, the musician Brian Eno, Respect Party MP George Galloway, Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather, Labour MP Jermy Corbyn and the socialist activist Tariq Ali.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the rally, Jagger appealed to the US president-elect, Barack Obama, to "ask for the immediate cessation of the bombardment of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip."

Ken Livingstone condemned the "Israeli kill ratio of 100 to one" as "obscene". The UK government's response so far had been completely inadequate, he said. "The only time a British government was even-handed [in the Middle East] was Edward Heath in 1973 ... when he refused to let arms shipments through to Israel."

Despite years of courting mainstream Muslim opinion, a rift appeared to be opening up between government departments and certain groups. The Muslim Council of Britain called for a meeting with the Foreign Office but declined to attend the briefing unless it was given by the Foreign Secretary, David Milliband.

Dr Daud Abdullah, deputy secretary-general of the MCB, declared: "There is widespread consternation that our government, along with the United States, did not approve a vote in the Security Council, calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the siege of Gaza. We find this incomprehensible given the dire humanitarian crisis."

But the Foreign Office dismissed the allegation. "We support the Arab League's efforts towards a UN Security Council Resolution," a spokesperson insisted. "To be effective, any resolution must be one that will command broad support and that demands an end to Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli civilians as well as an end to Israeli military action in Gaza. It is wrong to suggest that Britain would block action towards a permanent ceasefire. We have not and are not doing so."

The Stop the War coalition has called for protesters to bring old shoes to leave for Brown when the march passes Downing Street "in the spirit of Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi". Local protests are also being organised in other UK cities /tomorrow.

A jihadist group, the Followers of Ahlulsunnah Al Jamal, today organised a protest march from the Central Mosque in Regent's park to the US embassy. Their placards declared: 'Shariah for Palestine', 'United Nations Go To Hell - Islam Is The Only Solution' and 'Hands off Muslims'.

Protests against the Israeli bombing erupted in many parts of the Muslim world. In Kabul, around 1,000 protestors gathered outside the Nabawi mosque chanting 'Death to America, Israel and Britain and waved green Hamas flags.

In Cairo, Egyptian police used batons to beat back protests called by the Muslim Brotherhood. Teargas was fired in Jordan to keep demonstrators away from the Jordanian embassy.