STOCKHOLM – On a crisp autumn afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators converged on Odenplan Square in central Stockholm to voice outrage over Israel's alleged breaches of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, demanding an end to the blockade of humanitarian aid and calling for a full arms embargo on the Israeli government. The rally, organized by a coalition of civil society groups including the Palestine Group Stockholm and local Jewish peace activists, drew participants from diverse backgrounds who waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans like "Free Palestine" and "End the Siege Now," echoing a wave of global protests against the protracted conflict.
The event unfolded against the backdrop of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, 2025, intended to halt two years of devastating warfare that has claimed over 69,000 Palestinian lives, predominantly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Protesters, bundled in winter coats under gray skies, carried placards emblazoned with messages such as "Stand Up for Palestine," "Say No to Genocide," and "Break the Blockade – Let Aid In," highlighting their frustration with what they described as Israel's systematic obstruction of relief supplies into the besieged enclave. One organizer estimated the crowd at around 400, including families with young children and elderly supporters who had traveled from suburbs like Solna and Sundbyberg. "This isn't just about Gaza; it's about humanity's failure to act," the organizer said, as the group linked arms in a human chain symbolizing solidarity.
The ceasefire, hailed by President Donald Trump as a cornerstone of his Middle East peace plan during a summit in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, promised phased withdrawals, hostage releases, and unrestricted humanitarian access. Yet, just six weeks in, the agreement has unraveled amid mutual accusations of violations. According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, Israel has breached the truce at least 393 times between October 10 and November 20 through airstrikes, artillery fire, and sniper shootings that have killed 312 Palestinians and wounded 760 others. UNICEF reported on November 21 that 67 children – an average of two per day – have perished in these "conflict-related incidents" since the pause began, underscoring the ceasefire's hollow protections for Gaza's most vulnerable.
In Stockholm, the rally's focal point was the aid blockade, which protesters labeled a weapon of war. The UN's monitoring dashboard reveals that only 5,037 aid trucks have entered Gaza since the ceasefire, a mere quarter of the agreed volume, with Israeli inspections causing crippling delays. The World Food Programme warns that half the required food supplies are missing, exacerbating a famine-like crisis where 2.3 million residents face acute malnutrition. Demonstrators shared stories of displaced families huddling in flooded tent camps as winter rains pummel the territory, with Israel refusing entry for essential tarpaulins and tents. "Gaza is starving while the world watches," read one banner, a sentiment amplified by speakers who invoked the International Court of Justice's July 2024 advisory opinion declaring Israel's occupation illegal and urging states to halt complicit trade.
Dror Feiler, a prominent Jewish Swedish activist, musician, and Holocaust survivor's son, took the makeshift stage to deliver a searing critique. Born in Israel and a longtime advocate for Palestinian rights, Feiler, 72, has organized similar events for decades through his group, Jews for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. Speaking amid the crowd's cheers, he declared: "Although there is talk of a ceasefire in Palestine, the situation on the ground shows otherwise. Palestinians are being killed every day in Gaza, while ethnic cleansing continues in the occupied West Bank." Feiler, whose family fled Nazi-occupied France, drew parallels to historical injustices, accusing Israeli forces of not only ignoring settler violence but enabling it. "In the West Bank, security forces fail to stop attacks on Palestinians – they are complicit," he added, referencing UN data showing over 800 Palestinian deaths there since October 2023, including 150 children.
Feiler's remarks resonated deeply in a nation grappling with its own role in the conflict. Sweden, which recognized Palestine as a state in 2014, has faced criticism for its arms trade with Israel despite halting official exports in 2023 over human rights concerns. Between 2015 and 2024, the country imported $473 million in military goods from Israeli firms like Elbit Systems, including drones and targeting pods used in Gaza operations. Protesters urged Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's center-right government to impose a comprehensive embargo, joining calls from the Swedish Dockworkers Union, which announced a blockade on military shipments to Israel effective January 28, 2026. "Our governments continue to buy and sell weapons. They continue to support Israel politically and diplomatically... that's unacceptable," Feiler told the crowd, his voice rising over rhythmic drumming.
The activist's words prompted chants of "Boycott Israel!" as the group marched briefly toward the nearby Foreign Ministry. Sweden's policy remains inconsistent: while exports are restricted, imports persist, fueling accusations of hypocrisy from human rights groups. Kristersson's administration has echoed EU demands to freeze Israel's trade privileges under the association agreement but has stopped short of a full embargo, citing NATO commitments that involve Israeli tech. In March 2025, Swedish JAS 39 Gripen jets deployed for NATO air policing in Poland were equipped with Rafael's Litening pods, produced by an Israeli firm implicated in Gaza strikes.
This Stockholm rally is part of a broader European mobilization. On November 17, a UN committee monitoring Israeli actions in occupied territories called for global arms embargoes and sanctions, citing Israel's "expanding territorial reach" as a regional destabilizer. Slovenia led the charge in August 2025 by banning all arms trade with Israel, followed by Spain's September expansion of its embargo to include dual-use goods and fuel transit bans. Yet, major suppliers like Germany lifted partial export halts on November 17, resuming sales post-ceasefire under strict conditions. Critics warn that such leniency enables ongoing demolitions: over 1,500 buildings have been razed in IDF-controlled Gaza zones since October 10, often civilian structures justified as "terror infrastructure."
Israel counters that Hamas bears responsibility for violations, including 18 attacks on troops and delays in hostage body returns. On October 29, after gunmen killed two soldiers, Israeli strikes killed 104, including 46 children, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "retribution." Netanyahu, addressing parliament on November 10, insisted the war "has not ended," vowing to rearm against perceived threats. Hamas, in turn, accuses Israel of fabricating pretexts, labeling strikes "crimes" against civilians.
Back in Odenplan, as dusk fell and tea was shared from thermoses, participants reflected on the rally's message. A young medical student, Aisha Rahman, who immigrated from Syria, spoke of her empathy for Gaza's plight: "I've seen war; this is engineered suffering." The event dispersed peacefully around 5 p.m., with organizers vowing weekly actions until accountability arrives. In a city known for its progressive activism – from climate strikes to LGBTQ+ rights – this protest reaffirms Sweden's moral compass, even as global powers dither.
The rally's timing, just days before the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on November 29, amplifies its urgency. With Gaza's health system collapsing – 571 bodies recovered from rubble post-ceasefire alone – and winter looming, calls for embargo grow louder. As Feiler concluded: "We must end the complicity." Whether Stockholm's voices pierce Brussels or Washington remains to be seen, but on this Saturday, they echoed unforgettably.
