BRUSSELS

The suffering of Palestinian children in Gaza and the occupied West Bank is not inevitable but the outcome of political choices, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Wednesday.

“This suffering is not inevitable. It is a result of choices, of actions and of inaction, and choices can change," Prevot said at a high-level event on the Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza.

He underlined that Belgium is once again calling on the international community to protect children, respect international humanitarian law and guarantee safe and unimpeded humanitarian access.

"Children should never be collateral damage. Yet today in Gaza and the West Bank, they are paying the highest price," Prevot said.

"I disagree with those who say that the humanitarian system is broken. It is access that is missing. It is the deliberate decision to deny access," he added.

He concluded by urging immediate action, saying: "If these children can still find the courage to speak, what excuse do we have not to act?"

The Israeli army has killed more than 65,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.