More than a hundred people gathered in Vilnius on Thursday to express solidarity with the victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza.
“A military conflict implies two equal sides, in this case, it is completely untrue because one side has one of the most powerful armies in the world, while the other side has been occupied for decades and is under siege,” Andrius Mažeika, the organiser of the protest, told BNS.
“The silent vigil procession against Israel’s violence in Gaza” started in Vilnius’ central Cathedral Square and proceeded along Gedimino Avenue to the government building, where a minute of silence was observed.
Similar solidarity rallies in response to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are taking place in major European cities, such as London, Milan, Paris, Rome, and others.
Pro-Israel solidarity events have also been held in the Lithuanian capital.
Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on October 7, invading its territory and firing rockets. Israel carried out retaliatory strikes on Gaza and cut off the supply of food, fuel, electricity, and other essentials to the territory, causing a humanitarian crisis.
Around 2.3 million people live in the Gaza Strip, a stretch of land about the size of Vilnius on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Hamas’ attacks have been condemned by Lithuanian leaders and the parliament.
Lithuanian officials stress Israel’s right to self-defence while respecting international humanitarian law.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
