Belgium has announced its intention to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, amid growing international concern over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The move is expected to be formalized via royal decree once all hostages are released and Hamas no longer exercises control in Gaza, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot.
Prévot also pledged a series of sanctions targeting Israel’s government and products from settlements in the occupied West Bank. “This is not about sanctioning the Israeli people, but about ensuring that international and humanitarian law is respected by its government,” he said. The sanctions include naming Israeli ministers and settlers as “persona non grata” in Belgium.
The announcement comes as Israel faces accusations of violating international law during its ongoing conflict with Hamas. The International Association of Genocide Scholars stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide, a claim Israel has repeatedly denied.
The decision follows similar international measures, including sanctions imposed by Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK against Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for “inciting extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.” Ben-Gvir criticized Belgium’s move, calling it manipulation by Hamas.
Humanitarian concerns are rising in Gaza, where a U.N.-backed report confirmed famine in Gaza City for the first time since the war began in October 2023. Over 63,000 Palestinians have been killed, with hundreds dying from malnutrition, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Activists, including Greta Thunberg, are attempting to deliver aid to Gaza via the Global Sumud Flotilla, despite previous detentions by Israeli authorities.
