Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Belgium is exploring the possibility of using aircraft to drop aid into Gaza, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot has told The National, as the humanitarian situation in the enclave continues to deteriorate.
Israel ended an 11-week blockade on Gaza last month, but only a limited amount of humanitarian assistance has since entered through the UN and newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – a controversial private organisation that is overhauling aid distribution in the war-torn strip.
The foundation began distributing aid last week as Gaza’s 2.3 million people face widespread hunger, with many having been displaced by the conflict. But its operations, which circumvent traditional humanitarian agencies, have drawn criticism from the UN and major aid groups which say it does not adhere to humanitarian principles.
“We are trying to push, together with other European partners, to open a broader corridor for aid trucks coming from international donors through Israel to enter Palestinian territories,” said Mr Prevot, who is also Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister.
“In parallel, we are studying whether it is possible and pertinent to drop additional aid by aeroplane. What we are seeing on the ground is shameful and we urgently need to improve the international community’s response.”
The GHF said it would temporarily suspend operations on Wednesday after three days of bloodshed around its aid sites. Some Gazans have taken to sleeping near the collection points despite bursts of gunfire that have killed dozens in recent days.
On Tuesday, at least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured by Israeli fire near a food distribution centre in Rafah, Gazan health officials said.
The Israeli military said troops opened fire after a group of people deviated from a designated access route and approached their positions.
“Cutting off assistance on a voluntary basis to children, women and civilians and denying them access to water, food, health care and electricity is totally unacceptable,” said Mr Prevot. “It is clearly a violation of human rights.”
Israel has faced mounting international criticism over its actions in Gaza, with the EU, in particular, adopting a noticeably tougher tone. However, observers argue that the bloc is unlikely to reach a unified position on Israel. Any common foreign or security policy within the EU requires unanimous agreement among all 27 member states – a requirement that has led to accusations of inaction, or imposing only minimal pressure on Israel over the situation in Gaza.
The EU last month launched a review to assess whether Israel is in compliance with the human rights provisions laid out in its association agreement with the bloc, a move supported by 17 of its 27 member states.
Mr Prevot said the Belgian government had urged EU partners to expand the current sanctions list, which includes violent Israeli settlers and some Hamas figures, to include political and military leaders from Israel and Hamas. “This is currently under discussion and we hope it will be possible to reach a common decision among all EU member states,” he said.
Two-state solution
Later this month, France and Saudi Arabia will lead a UN conference on the two-state solution in New York. Paris has been pushing European countries, including the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium, to jointly recognise the state of Palestine at the peace conference.
“The question is not whether we intend to recognise Palestine, but when,” said Mr Prevot. “Our main goal is to achieve a two-state solution. However, that should normally be accompanied by the release of all hostages, an end to Hamas governance in Gaza and the establishment of a strong Palestinian leadership.”
He emphasised that securing a sustainable ceasefire in the enclave and addressing the immediate humanitarian emergency must remain top priorities.
Gulf tour
Gaza and other regional flashpoints were high on the agenda during Mr Prevot’s tour of the Gulf this week, which included visits to Qatar and the UAE. In Abu Dhabi, he met Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The two officials discussed bilateral relations and ways to expand co-operation across various fields, including the economic, trade and investment sectors, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“The UAE is Belgium’s second-largest commercial and trading partner among Arab countries. We already have strong ties; it’s time to deepen them,” said Mr Prevot. “Belgium can serve as a gateway to Europe – we are the world’s leading diplomatic hub and host all European institutions. It’s also crucial to create new opportunities in sectors such as defence and energy.
“The UAE offers credibility, stability and is a key geopolitical partner in this region.”
The UAE and the EU have recently launched free trade talks, aiming to boost economic ties and market access amid global trade uncertainty. Relations with Belgium are seen as especially important, given that Brussels serves as the EU’s capital.
Cautious engagement with Iran
Mr Prevot also noted that Belgium maintains a critical engagement with Iran. “On the one hand, we are confronted with some irritants: hostage diplomacy, military support to Russia in its aggression of Ukraine, support to entities destabilising the region and, of course, the nuclear file,” he said. “On the other hand, we believe that the solution will be achieved not by force but by dialogue.”
The US and Iran have been engaged in nuclear negotiations since April, with Oman acting as mediator. These talks, which have taken place in Muscat and Rome, aim to address concerns over Iran’s advancing nuclear programme and explore pathways to revive or replace elements of the 2015 nuclear deal. While the negotiations have faced challenges, including disagreements over uranium enrichment levels and sanctions relief, both sides have agreed to continue dialogue.
“We support the negotiations between the US, but also some European countries, with Iran to reach an agreement,” added Mr Prevot. “If it does not lead to a positive result, we would only regret it. Activating the snapback clause reviving sanctions would be likely.”
Under terms of a UN resolution ratifying the 2015 nuclear pact, three European powers – France, Germany and the UK, collectively known as the E3 – have the ability to trigger the “snapback” mechanism before October 18. This would allow them to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran if they determine that Tehran is not complying with the terms of the agreement.