Belgium repeats call for immediate cease-fire in Gaza where death toll tops 30,000

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Belgium on Thursday repeated its call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, where the Palestinian death toll has exceeded 30,000.

“The tragedy in northern Gaza reinforces Belgium's call for an immediate ceasefire!” the country’s Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said on X.

“Respect for international law is an absolute priority. Civilians must be protected,” she added.

Earlier, at least 112 Palestinians were killed and 760 others injured when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid south of Gaza City, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.

At least 30,035 Palestinians have since been killed and 70,457 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

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

Israel is 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.