Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Odenplan Square in central Stockholm on Saturday to protest against Israeli military operations in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon.

The crowd, responding to calls from several civil society organisations, urged an immediate end to the violence while carrying banners that read "Children are being killed in Gaza" and "Schools and hospitals are being bombed". Other placards read "Stop attacks on Lebanon" and "End food shortages".

The demonstrators assembled to denounce Israeli military attacks on the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon, as well as ceasefire violations, and demanded that Israel immediately halt its attacks on Gaza.

Calls to halt Swedish arms sales

The protesters also called on the Swedish government to immediately stop weapons sales to Israel, with placards highlighting food shortages in Gaza and attacks on Lebanon. The demonstration reflected growing public pressure on Stockholm to reconsider its defence export policies as the conflict in the region widens.

Demonstrators condemned attacks on civilians and urged Sweden to halt arms sales to Israel, according to footage of the rally shared by TRT World.

The crowd demanded two things above all: an immediate end to the attacks on Gaza, and an end to Swedish weapons sales to Israel. Organisers said the protest was a response to the continuing violence and to the humanitarian situation facing civilians in Gaza, where demonstrators pointed to shortages of food and the bombing of schools and hospitals.

Activist accuses Europe of complicity

Swedish activist Malin Akerstrom, who took part in the protest, told Anadolu Agency that the situation in Gaza constituted an ongoing genocide, and accused European governments of deliberately avoiding the term.

"This is an ongoing genocide, we have known this from the beginning," she said, arguing that Swedish politicians and other European leaders were enabling the violence to continue by defending Israel's right to self-defence.

Akerstrom also voiced support for Palestinian resistance, saying that Palestinians living under occupation have the right to resist.

Protests continue across Europe

Demonstrations against the war have continued across European capitals since Israel expanded its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. The Stockholm rally was one of a series of weekend protests in European cities calling for an end to the fighting and for governments to change course on arms exports to Israel.

Israel says its operations target armed groups. The protest organisers in Stockholm said they would keep demonstrating until the violence ends and Sweden stops selling weapons to Israel.