Thousands rally in Brussels to demand cease-fire in Gaza, Lebanon

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Nearly 32,000 people took to the streets of Belgium’s capital Sunday to call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon, according to the police.

At the event in Brussels, demonstrators also called on the Belgian government to push for a complete international military embargo against Israel.

The event was organized by a coalition of civil society organizations, the Belga News Agency reported.

Ludo De Brabander of Vrede, one of the organizers, told VRT that while attention is on the European Union, Belgium can still take responsibility or lead the way.

"Belgium has still not recognized Palestine as a state, as Spain and Ireland have already done," he added.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

More than 42,600 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 99,800 injured, according to local health authorities.

Israel has also mounted a huge air campaign in Lebanon since late last month against what it says are Hezbollah targets, killing over 1,500 people and displacing more than 1.34 million others.

Cross-border warfare between the two sides has continued since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.