Belgium presses for unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza
Belgian Foreign minister Maxime Prévot says the country is pressing for unimpeded access for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
"Belgium is actively considering all possible options to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza as quickly as possible," Prévot's office said on Sunday following a meeting with the Israeli ambassador.
"Our priority is clear: to ensure that the Palestinian population has access to sufficient, efficient and independent humanitarian aid."
Ambassador Idit Rosenzweig-Abu told VRT's De Zevende Dag that Belgian aid for Gaza was welcome but that Israel itself wants to control food distribution and prevent it from falling into the hands of Hamas.
B-FAST support
The American teams that are supposed to manage the Israeli food distribution are already on site, she added. She also invited the Belgian aid team B-FAST to come and help, noting that B-FAST has not yet submitted a request and that Belgium has not yet requested permission to fly over Israeli territory as part of B-FAST.
Prévot's office said Belgium had responded to a new request from the Palestinian Authority via the European coordination mechanism to supply medical equipment.
"We are counting on Israel's cooperation so that the material reaches the population without delay this time"
"B-FAST, the Belgian rapid intervention team for disasters, is in close contact with the Palestinian Authority to organise this aid," a spokesperson said. "As soon as the shipment is ready, it will be transferred to the region. We are counting on Israel's cooperation so that the material reaches the population without delay this time."
B-FAST only intervenes in acute crisis situations of a temporary nature. For a long-term and large-scale crisis such as the one in Gaza, humanitarian aid via specialised actors such as UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs is the most appropriate, it said.
Call for access
Prévot's cabinet also points out that the Israeli government has been blocking humanitarian aid by land to Gaza for months despite repeated calls from the international community.
"Although there are signs of a limited restart, this is far from sufficient. Israel must grant immediate and full access, without obstacles, and provide safe access to humanitarian aid workers so that the much-needed aid finally reaches the people on the ground," it said.
"The humanitarian situation is the biggest concern," said the cabinet of prime minister Bart De Wever on Sunday. "That is why we are looking at what role our country can play in providing support in that area."
CD&V leader Sammy Mahdi urged the government to act swiftly. He also criticised Israel's approach, claiming Benjamin Netanyahu's government wants to use aid distribution to concentrate civilians in one place and thereby facilitate military control over other areas of Gaza.
Finally, the cabinet reiterated Belgium's commitment to combating antisemitism and Islamophobia.
"We resolutely condemn and combat this hatred. Criticism of the Israeli government's policy is not antisemitism. Demanding respect for international humanitarian law is a democratic duty," a spokesperson said.
"Many Jewish organisations in Belgium and worldwide themselves emphasise the importance of making a clear distinction between the Jewish people and the policy of a government. That, too, is a form of justice."
© PHOTO BELGA
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