LONDON

Political pressure on the Belgian prime minister is growing, demanding him to take more concrete actions against Israel in the face of the crippling situation in the Gaza Strip, according to local media on Monday.

The social conservative Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V), the social democratic Vooruit , and the centrist Les Engages party demanded Prime Minister Bart De Wever to do more against Israel over Gaza, the Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported.

It is up to the prime minister to set the course, and "he is not doing that today," Lawmaker Els Van Hoof told Radio 1.

Van Hoof, also the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the federal parliament, said she believes that Belgium can do much more, even without Europe or other countries.

"Doing nothing is a choice we cannot support, ... international law requires us to take action," she added.

Meanwhile, the liberal Reformist Movement (MR) and the prime minister's Flemish nationalist N-VA party oppose sanctions against Israel despite mounting criticism, according to the report.

Last week, the Belgian government announced that Brussels would vote in favor of a partial suspension of Israel’s participation in the Horizon Europe research program.

Separately, the nation's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot recently summoned Israel's ambassador to discuss the Israeli plans to occupy Gaza City.

Israel is facing mounting condemnation for its genocidal war on Gaza, where it has killed nearly 61,500 victims since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is also facing famine-related deaths.