BRUSSELS 

EU employees on Thursday protested the bloc's policy towards Palestine, demanding an immediate and permanent cease-fire in Gaza, the release of all prisoners. 

Staff of different EU institutions held the silent demonstration against the bloc's policy towards Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, opening a banner that read "EU staff for peace and justice." 

They also demanded the condemnation of all crimes and rights violations perpetrated in occupied Palestinian territories, the cessation of arms trade between EU member states and Israel, and the cancellation of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. 

The protesters also called for the implementation of recent decisions by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where Israel is facing accusations of genocide in its ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip.

"Once again, EU staff are joining together outside the European institutions to stand in solidarity with occupied peoples," said Manus Carlisle, one of the organizers of the protest.

"In particular, today, we're standing in solidarity with the people in the occupied territories of Ukraine and specifically in Palestine, because again, we are seeing over and over again breaches of international law happening on our dime in Palestine and in Ukraine," he told Anadolu.

"We've seen in the past that the EU and its member states have been able to act in a very coordinated manner in the face of Russia's brutal onslaught of Ukraine, and yet we've seen complete inaction when it comes to Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine and the onslaught continuing in Gaza," he said.  

Over 1,700 signatures

The protesters handed out brochures with important details on their action and their aims and calling on people to join their movement.

It said that over 1,700 EU staffers "have already signed the letter to our leadership," quoting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as saying: "The bloodshed in Gaza must stop now.”

The brochures also referenced comments by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who said Gaza "was before the war the greatest open-air prison. Today, it’s the greatest open-air graveyard."

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack last Oct. 7.

Over the course of nearly a year, Israeli attacks have killed almost 41,300 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 95,500, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel also faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.  

*Writing by Merve Berker