Belgium announces that it will recognise a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly. According to Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, the country has decided to join the international pressure on Israel, which has intensified after Australia, Britain, Canada and France took a similar step.
The decision, according to him, comes "in view of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law," Prévot said on social media.
Israel finds itself increasingly isolated on the international stage as it faces credible accusations of genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and collective punishment of the civilian population in Gaza.
Israeli attacks are estimated to have killed more than 63 000 people, mostly civilians. Most of Gaza's more than two million inhabitants have been forced to flee their homes. The UN-backed food security monitor IPC last month described the situation as an "artificially induced famine" in and around Gaza. Despite widespread starvation, Israel continues to block humanitarian aid deliveries.
In a lengthy statement on the X network, Prévot wrote: "In light of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law, and in light of its international obligations, including its duty to prevent any risk of genocide, Belgium had to take a fundamental decision to increase pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas terrorists. This is not about sanctioning the Israeli people, but about demanding that their government respect international and humanitarian law and try to take steps to change the situation on the ground."
According to Prévot, Belgium will make its move towards official recognition of a Palestinian state conditional on Hamas releasing all remaining Israeli hostages kidnapped in the 7 October 2023 attack in southern Israel, and that the organisation "will no longer have any role in the administration of Palestine".
At the same time, the government is preparing 12 "fixed" sanctions against Israel. These will include a ban on imports of products from Israeli settlements or a review of public contracts with Israeli firms. In addition, Hamas leaders will be declared undesirable persons in Belgium.
Two Israeli "extremist" ministers and several "violent settlers" are to be given similar status. Although Prévot did not name them, they are most likely far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government.
Back in the summer, the UK, along with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich for their "repeated incitement to violence against Palestinian communities" in the occupied West Bank.
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