A 22-year-old Palestinian Arab man was critically injured Sunday evening after being stabbed during an anti-Israel demonstration in central Brussels, in what some reports allege may have been an attack by a Hamas supporter targeting the victim for criticising the terror group. The attack occurred near Zaterdagplein, close to the Brasserie de la Poste on Lakensestraat, during a protest that drew hundreds of participants.
The Brussels Capital Ixelles police confirmed the incident and reported that emergency services responded around 6:15 p.m. The victim was initially in a life-threatening condition but is now reported to be out of danger. A 21-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene. Authorities have opened an investigation into attempted manslaughter, and forensic teams have begun reviewing CCTV footage to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to Ilse Van de Keere, spokesperson for the police zone, the suspect was taken into custody shortly after the attack. Witnesses described a quarrel escalating into violence, with the attacker reportedly mingling with the crowd before stabbing the victim.
The demonstration, which had been approved by the local municipality, began earlier in the day in Molenbeek and continued to Zaterdagplein, concluding outside the Brussels Stock Exchange. Protesters called for sanctions against Israel and an end to the presence of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
In a statement, the event's organisers condemned the stabbing and said the attacker was not connected to the protest. The group posted on social media that "an unknown person, who had nothing to do with the event, mingled with the crowd and attacked a demonstrator."
Brussels prosecutors have confirmed the stabbing occurred during the rally and are investigating whether there is a direct link to the demonstration. One protester told Belgian media that the victim, reportedly from Gaza, was attacked without provocation. "I suddenly heard a commotion 10 metres behind me and saw an adult man with a knife in his hand running away," the witness said.
Joe Truzman, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted that Palestinian channels on Telegram have been circulating video footage of the aftermath. According to these reports, the stabbing may have stemmed from internal Palestinian tensions, with the attacker allegedly being a Hamas supporter who stabbed the victim after he criticised the terror group during the rally. This claim has not been confirmed by Belgian authorities.
The investigation remains ongoing.