EU employees protest bloc's Gaza policy in Brussels

BRUSSELS

Nearly 200 EU employees on Wednesday gathered in Brussels to protest the bloc's policy towards Gaza, highlighting what they perceive as a disregard for international law.

The protest took place in front of the buildings of the EU Commission and the EU Council.

The demonstrators held a "symbolic" funeral to represent burial of international law, EU agreements and the Genocide Convention, the “death” of European values when it came to Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians since the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion that claimed 1,200 lives.

After a minute of silence to mourn the lives lost in Gaza, the crowd left flowers at the Schuman Square.

Manus Carlisle, one of the EU employees who addressed the gathering, emphasized the importance of upholding the principles and values upon which the 27-member bloc was founded.

"Our call is essentially to defend the rights, principles, and values on which this Union was built," Carlisle told Anadolu, lamenting the failure of the international community to address the situation adequately.

"We are here for an end to impunity for war crimes, to support international law, and to achieve a cease-fire. These European institutions were precisely built for this purpose," he said.

Simona Baloghova, another protester, echoed Carlisle's sentiments, expressing concern over the apparent lack of application of EU agreements and international law.

"It seems that EU agreements and international law are not being applied. It's been seven months. People in Gaza and beyond are suffering," she said.

Addressing the recent Israeli attacks on Rafah, Baloghova expressed hope for a swift end to the violence. "We hope it ends as soon as possible and the suffering stops," she added.

The march in Brussels came as talks for a cease-fire brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US continue. Hamas accepted the most recent proposal, but Israel rejected it.

Israel also appears to be launching its ground offensive in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where some 1.4 million Palestinians are estimated to be sheltering.

The EU initially did not call for a cease-fire and argued that Israel had a right to defend itself. In March, the leaders for the first time called for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable cease-fire.”

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has also been criticized for her “pro-Israel stance.”