UPDATE - Hundreds rally in Stockholm in support of Palestine

ADDS MORE PROTESTS

By Atilla Altuntas, Lejla Biogradlija, Baris Seckin and Erbil Basay

STOCKHOLM/ ZAGREB/ ROME/ BERLIN (AA) – Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, on Saturday to express their support for Palestinians and to vehemently denounce Israel's attacks on Gaza.

Demonstrators gathered in the Odenplan region on the call of many non-governmental organizations in the country, calling on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza, declare an immediate cease-fire, and allow full entry of humanitarian aid materials into the besieged enclave.

They carried banners reading "Children are being killed in Gaza," "Stop the genocide," and "Palestine forever," as well as models of children killed during the intensified bombardment.

Protesters later marched to the Israeli Embassy while chanting slogans such as "Freedom for Palestine."

The protesters also criticized Sweden and the US for their support of Israel, accusing them of complicity in Israel's war crimes against Palestinians.

Germany, Italy and Croatia also witnessed large gatherings as demonstrators took to the streets to express solidarity with Palestine and condemn Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.

In Alexanderplatz in Berlin, thousands marched from the Foreign Ministry to Potsdamer Platz Square under the banner: Stop the war and aggression. Banners with messages like "Save the children in Gaza" and "Ceasefire now" were prominently displayed, along with Palestinian and South African flags.

Fori Imperiali Street in Rome became a focal point for over 5,000 protesters who called for an end to the genocide against Palestinians. Banners with, "Stop the genocide" and flags from the Republic of South Africa, which recently filed a genocide complaint against Israel, were visible among the crowd.

In Zagreb in Croatia, a march organized by the Free Palestine Initiative drew hundreds of participants, urging the international community to demand a permanent and unconditional cease-fire in Gaza. Banners that read: "Free Palestine" and "Croatia stands with Palestine" were carried through the city's main streets.

Since the outbreak of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza on Oct. 7, the Israeli army has intensified its military operations in the West Bank, increasing the pace of invasions and raids on cities, towns, and refugee camps, resulting in 347 fatalities as of Saturday.

Meanwhile, the war's destruction on Gaza until Saturday left 23,843 deaths, 60,317 injuries, massive destruction of infrastructure, and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to the authorities in the enclave and the United Nations.