Belgium, along with 23 other countries, urge Israel to lift restrictions on NGOs

12 August 2025

The foreign ministers of 24 countries, including Belgium's Maxime Prévot, urged Israel to urgently lift restrictions on international NGOs in the Palestinian territories. "Famine is unfolding before our eyes," they say in a joint statement published on Tuesday.

"The humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels," the statement reads, which came at the initiative of the UK. "Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation. Humanitarian space must be protected, and aid should never be politicised."

The signatories call on Israel to lift restrictions on international organisations and allow "a flood of aid into Gaza". NGOs in the occupied Palestinian territories currently risk having to leave due to very strict new registration requirements, "which would worsen the humanitarian situation still further".

They also stress that no "lethal force" should be used at food distribution points and that civilians, humanitarian workers and aid workers must be protected. Finally, the signatories call for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and unrestricted access for aid supplies through the country.

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European support

In addition to Prévot, the statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

At EU level, High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica and Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib also signed the statement.

Prévot also expressed his support for the statement on X. "NGOs must be able to respond where it is required by an emergency," the minister wrote. Hindering humanitarian access exacerbates the crisis and violates international humanitarian law."