Belgium's Jewish umbrella organizations, the Forum of Jewish Organisations (FJO) and the Comité de Coordination des Organisations Juives de Belgique (CCOJB), representing both Flemish

and Walloon communities, are planning a demonstration in Brussels on Monday. Their gathering is set to take place at the Israeli Embassy, where they will express their solidarity with the State of Israel. Meanwhile, the Jewish community in Antwerp reports a surge in calls to its security hotline.

The CCOJB has conveyed its "absolute and unconditional solidarity" with Israel, condemning what it refers to as "terrorist acts" perpetrated by Hamas against Israeli civilians. The organization characterizes these events as an alarming resurgence of Palestinian terrorism. They assert that these acts justify Israel's use of all means to defend itself.

The CCOJB stands in support of the Israeli victims and their families. Philippe Markiewicz, President of the Central Israelite Consistory of Belgium (CICB), expresses hope that the current escalation in violence will ultimately lead to renewed peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel.

The FJO and CCOJB have announced their intention to assemble on Sterrewachtlaan in Uccle from 18:15 on Monday. However, the Brussels-Marlow police zone has not confirmed whether the demonstration has been officially authorized.

In parallel developments, the permanent security hotline of the Jewish community in Antwerp is experiencing a rise in calls from concerned residents due to the situation in Israel. N-VA MP Michael Freilich, a prominent community member, reports increased worries among Jewish citizens, leading to concerns about potential suspicious activities.

Notably, an incident occurred in central Antwerp where individuals removed an Israeli flag displayed during the World Gymnastics Championships and replaced it with a Palestinian flag on Saturday night. Local authorities are treating the incident seriously and have initiated an investigation. The culprits remain at large, although video footage of the incident circulates on social media. The Palestinian flag was removed by the police on Sunday morning.

Following attacks by the Islamist group Hamas, Israel's security cabinet declared a state of war, permitting "wide-ranging military action," as announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet on Sunday.

While Poland and Bulgaria have initiated evacuations of civilians, Belgium is not presently considering evacuation for its citizens. The FPS Foreign Affairs confirmed the full mobilization of diplomatic missions and services in Brussels and maintains close contact with European partners to monitor the situation, including the approximately 20 Belgians in Gaza.

The large-scale attack by Hamas on Israel, which began on Saturday morning, has resulted in a significant toll. Israeli media reports indicate 700 fatalities, 2,243 hospitalizations, including 22 in critical condition and 343 seriously injured. Additionally, at least 100 people have been kidnapped by Hamas militants, according to the Israeli government.

In response, Israeli army operations in the Gaza Strip have reportedly caused the deaths of 370 individuals, bringing the total casualties in the conflict to over a thousand. Photo by Ynhockey, Wikimedia commons.