Thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Brussels on Sunday, November 16, voicing fierce condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and calling for concrete political and economic sanctions from European leaders.

The demonstration, which saw participants gather in front of the Gare du Nord station, marched through the city center under a sea of Palestinian flags. Drone footage captured the scale of the rally as crowds moved in unison, holding banners that denounced the ongoing violence.

The protestors presented a clear set of demands, urging the European Union to suspend its partnership agreement with Israel and pressing the Belgian government to implement a full arms embargo. The march drew significant support from civil society, with members of several Belgian labor unions joining the ranks, underscoring the broad-based nature of the dissent.

The rally concluded at Place Jean Rey, a symbolic location in the shadow of the EU Council headquarters, directly challenging the bloc's policy towards the conflict.

The demonstration unfolds against the grim backdrop of the war in Gaza. According to local health authorities, Israeli military operations have killed more than 69,000 people since October 2023, the majority being women and children, and have led to widespread destruction of infrastructure.

The protest also highlighted the international diplomatic stance on Palestinian statehood. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry noted that 160 of the UN’s 193 member states now recognize Palestine, following a wave of new recognitions during UN meetings in September.

The ongoing conflict is rooted in Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territories, as well as parts of Syria and Lebanon. The Israeli government remains opposed to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, a key point of contention that continues to fuel the crisis. (ILKHA)