Thousands march in Brussels for Gaza ceasefire before EU meetings

BRUSSELS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 9,000 people, according to the police, participated in a march in Brussels on Sunday, demanding concrete measures from Belgium to establish an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and ensure justice for the Palestinian people.

As the current president of the Council of the European Union (EU), Belgium is called upon to play a central role in promoting a fair solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Monday, the EU Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the situation in the Middle East in Brussels. The 27 EU foreign ministers will meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz before separate talks with the top diplomat of the Palestinian Authority, Riyad al-Maliki.

The mobilization on this Sunday was initiated by a diverse coalition of Belgian civil society organizations, including major NGOs. The organizers, advocating for peace, warned against any promotion of war crimes, attacks on civilians, anti-Semitism, or racism.

According to the organizers, in the past three months, over 24,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children have lost their lives. Nearly 1.9 million people have been forcibly displaced, and a significant portion of civil infrastructure has been completely destroyed. ■