Hundreds of Palestine supporters led silent marches on Saturday evening in Swedish and British cities to protest the European silence on the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Protesters in the Swedish city of Uppsala carried dolls covered in red-stained shrouds to denounce the killing of children in Gaza and the attacks on civilians in tents and hospitals, and the forced evacuation of workers at Kamal Adwan Hospital by the Israeli military.

They also held pictures of people killed and wounded to denounce the genocide. The scene was repeated in the British city of Leeds to urge Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stop arming Israel and adhere to implementing the decisions made by International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former war minister Yoav Gallant.

Anti-war and pro-Palestine activists staged a rally in central London on Thursday, coinciding with Boxing Day.

Since the start of the Gaza conflict, many countries across the world have seen anti-war protests. People from all walks of life have frequently held rallies in cities across Britain, EU countries, the United States, and beyond calling for an end to Israel’s brutal war on Gaza. 

Previously, United Nations agencies and rights groups have urged Israel to cease its military actions in Gaza.  

In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. 

Israel already stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

The ICJ, known as the World Court, found in January that there was a risk of violation of the rights of the Palestinian people to protection from genocide.

It ordered Israel to “take all measures within its power” to desist from killing Palestinians in contravention of the genocide convention, to prevent and punish the incitement of genocide, and to facilitate provision of “urgent basic services”.

Israel has ignored such calls to end its genocidal war in Gaza. 

Netanyahu ordered his army to launch war on Gaza after Hamas carried out a surprise military operation in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.