STOCKHOLM

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on Saturday to protest Israel’s continuing attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Protesters assembled in the Odenplan area of the city before marching towards the Swedish Parliament.

Participants carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans calling for Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territories and Lebanon, as well as demanding what they described as an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.”

Demonstrators demanded an end to the violence in Gaza as well as the recent increase in Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

One participant, Swedish activist Bitte Fosbo, told reporters that she is part of a group campaigning to boycott Israeli products.

She also called on Sweden’s state broadcaster SVT to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest in protest at Israel’s participation in the competition.

Fosbo criticized Israel’s military activities in the region and argued that the country’s stance towards Iran forms part of a long-term strategy.

“The real issue is the US supporting Israel’s aggressive policies,” she said, warning that the situation could have serious consequences for the wider region. While many groups oppose human rights violations in Iran, she stressed that giving Israel a “green light” for similar actions would worsen tensions.

Fosbo also said that Israel’s actions are often justified in the West as "self-defense," a narrative she said is also gaining support within Swedish public opinion.

She added that the people who have lived in the region for generations are the most affected by the ongoing conflict.

Israeli forces have continued daily violations of the ceasefire through shelling and gunfire, killing 651 Palestinians and injuring 1,741 since the truce took effect last October, according to local medical data.

Israel launched a genocide on Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, that lasted two years and has since continued in various forms, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians, wounding 172,000, and destroying 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure.

Meanwhile, more than 825 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, according to the country’s Health Ministry on Saturday.

Hezbollah began targeting Israeli military sites on March 2 in response to ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon despite the November 2024 ceasefire and the killing of Khamenei in Tehran.

Israel expanded its campaign the same day with airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and areas in southern and eastern Lebanon.

On March 3, Israel also launched a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon after beginning a joint campaign with the US against Iran on Feb. 28.