(MENAFN) A significant demonstration erupted in Paris, spotlighting the severe famine gripping the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s ongoing military operations described by protesters as genocidal.

Pro-Palestinian activists gathered at Place Estienne-d'Orves, waving Palestinian flags and holding banners that demanded “sanctions against Israel and swift justice” and called to “stop the massacre of journalists in Gaza.”

The crowd vocally condemned Israel with chants such as “Israel, get out, Palestine is not yours” and “Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people.”

Demonstrators pressed for immediate humanitarian aid access to Gaza, advocated boycotts of companies supporting Israel, and condemned the targeted killing of Palestinian journalists by Israeli forces.

To symbolize those who have perished from starvation, participants carried plastic skeletons. Some brought olive branches and white doves, classic emblems of peace, while others displayed small shrouds representing Palestinian infants they say have been victims of genocide.

One protester, Helene, who chose not to reveal her surname, stated: “I am here today to defend the rights of Palestinians and to demand that Israel stop the genocide.”

Helene labeled the famine in Gaza a war crime, highlighting the dire reality of hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation.

She emphasized that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be pressured to permit aid into the territory.

Since October 2023, Israeli military actions have resulted in nearly 63,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, devastating the region and precipitating a critical famine crisis.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide lawsuit at the International Court of Justice tied to its military campaign against the Gaza Strip.

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