Belgian foreign minister reiterates call for cease-fire in Gaza

By Nur Asena Erturk

The Belgian foreign minister on Monday reiterated her call for a cease-fire in Gaza.

"Hundreds of humanitarian trucks must access (Gaza). Opening all access routes is a priority," Hadja Lahbib said in a post on X.

"The violence by settlers cannot go unpunished," she said and also emphasized that the EU must adopt sanctions against the settlers' violence in the West Bank, as Belgium did.

"A (cease-fire) is urgent to restart peace negotiations," Lahbib also said.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 which killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 31,726 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in the enclave, and nearly 73,792 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60%of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.