BRUSSELS

Hundreds of people gathered in the Belgian capital Brussels late Thursday where a European Council meeting was held to show solidarity with Palestine.

The demonstration took place only hundreds of feet from the building where the meeting took place.

The crowd called on the European Union and the international community to take action to protect civilians and push for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas into Israeli territory on Oct. 7.

Nearly 8,500 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,028 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.

Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been running out of food, water, medicine and fuel, and aid convoys allowed into the enclave have carried only a fraction of what is needed.