Protesters in Swedish capital condemn Israel’s West Bank annexation plans, strikes on Lebanon

Hundreds of people gathered in central Stockholm on Saturday to protest Israel’s reported plans to annex the occupied West Bank and its continued attacks in Lebanon.

The demonstration, held at Odenplan Square and organized by several civil society groups, drew attention to what protesters described as Israel’s increasingly aggressive policies in the region.

Demonstrators accused Israel of violating the Oct. 10 ceasefire by targeting civilian areas in the West Bank and Lebanon.

They carried banners reading “Children are being killed in Gaza,” “Schools and hospitals are being bombed,” “Stop the attacks on Lebanon,” and “End food shortages.”

Rana Qadri, an activist at the protest, told Anadolu that she believed Israel’s actions in Palestinian territories were part of a broader “Greater Israel” plan.

“As long as the ‘Greater Israel’ plan exists, Israel will not abandon its strategy of destroying countries it sees as threats to that goal,” she said.

Qadri also criticized what she described as international silence over Israeli policies, including a recent decision in the Israeli parliament regarding the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners.

“If a Muslim country proposed a similar law, the whole world would react,” she said. “But when it comes to Israel, everything is allowed to pass without consequences.”