Belgium urges Israel to allow aid into Gaza, respect international law

GENEVA

Belgium on Wednesday expressed serious concern over Israel's continued blocking of humanitarian aid to Gaza and recent remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz suggesting a permanent Israeli presence in Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian territories.

Calling the developments "shocking and contrary to international law," Maxime Prevot, Belgium’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, called on the Israeli government to urgently facilitate humanitarian access and halt actions that violate international norms.

"I urge the Israeli government to urgently allow humanitarian aid to enter and to cease its violation of international law, to commit to a ceasefire, and to respect the integrity of the territories concerned," Prevot said on X.

He stressed that his appeal comes at a critical moment, both for the fate of Israeli hostages and the safety of civilians affected by the conflict.

Katz said earlier Wednesday that his army forces will remain in "security zones" in the Gaza Strip in any "temporary or permanent situation."

"Unlike in the past, the (Israeli army) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized," Katz said in a statement.

The army "will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and (Israeli) communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza – as in Lebanon and Syria."

Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory.

The Israeli army renewed a deadly assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Over 51,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023.