Belgium’s King Philippe said Europe “must show stronger leadership” over the events in the Gaza Strip, saying the current situation has gone on for too long and is “a disgrace to humanity.”
After Palestinian authorities in the Gaza Strip said Israeli forces killed at least 93 people in the enclave yesterday as they tried to reach humanitarian aid, King Philippe said last night that Belgium supports UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for “this intolerable crisis to end immediately,” according to Brussels-based Politico.
Israeli forces also killed dozens of Palestinians on Saturday as they tried to reach food distribution points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, according to witnesses. The fund, which is backed by Israel and the US, has been distributing aid inside Israeli military zones since May, and 674 people were killed near its food distribution points as of July 13, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office.
Israeli violence over the weekend in Gaza did not provoke a public reaction from top EU officials. EU foreign ministers, who met in Brussels on Tuesday, refused to impose sanctions on Israel over the way it is waging a war against the Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which UN officials characterize as genocide.
During last night’s address on the occasion of Belgium’s national holiday, July 21, King Philip also said that “international law has been a reliable foundation on which states can rely for decades”, but that today it is “openly questioned”, the Brussels agency Belga reports.
“If international law is trampled upon, the whole world suffers. Unpredictability and violence then gain freedom,” said the King of Belgium.
He stated that Europe “must become a bulwark against the brutal power struggles” the world is witnessing today and a credible alternative to them.
“This can be achieved by staying true to our fundamental values of democracy, justice and the rule of law. By respecting international law and human rights, we can protect human dignity. This is how we also build trust, a virtue we need so much,” said the King of Belgium.
