BRUSSELS 

Belgium is prepared to consider additional measures or sanctions on Israel if safe and accessible humanitarian aid delivery to the Gaza Strip remains obstructed, the prime minister said on Wednesday.

"Together with our European partners, we continue to exert pressure (on Israel) to ensure that humanitarian aid can be organized in a safe and accessible manner. If this does not work, we do not rule out the implementation of additional measures or sanctions," Bart De Wever said on X.

His remarks came amid continued concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where access to aid remains severely restricted due to the Israeli blockade.

De Wever also announced that Belgium had received the green light from Jordan to resume airdrops and land-based UN humanitarian convoys, a move, he said, would allow Belgium to "concretely contribute" to alleviating the crisis in the Palestinian enclave.

"The suffering of innocent civilians must stop. The war must also end. Coexistence between Israel and a democratic Palestinian state is the only path to peace," he added.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot also confirmed on X that a Belgian A400M aircraft will soon transport humanitarian donations to the Jordanian capital Amman.

"These donations consist mainly of medical supplies and foodstuffs with a total value of nearly €600,000 ($692,019)," he said, adding that the aid will support the people of Gaza.

Last week, the UN World Food Program (WFP) warned that one-third of Gaza’s population had gone without food for several consecutive days due to the Israeli siege.

According to WFP estimates, one in four Palestinians in Gaza faces famine-like conditions, and 100,000 women and children are suffering from acute malnutrition.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for 18 years, and since March 2 has sealed all border crossings, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and worsening already dire conditions in the enclave.

Palestinian officials say that a minimum of 500 aid trucks are needed per day to meet the needs of the territory’s 2.4 million population.

The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,000 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.

A total of 154 people, including 89 children, have died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza since October 2023.

On Monday, Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory’s healthcare system.