Several civil society organizations in Belgium urge Premier De Croo to recognize Palestine as state without delay

By Melike Pala

ANKARA (AA) – Twenty-six civil society organizations in Belgium issued a joint letter on Thursday urging Prime Minister Alexander De Croo to "recognize the state of Palestine without delay."

The Belgium-Palestine Association and the Christian Workers' Movement spearheaded the initiative, and the letter addressed to De Croo has received support from a number of associations and unions, all of which are calling for immediate action, according to Belgium's official news agency Belga.

In a joint statement, the organizations said recognizing Palestine would "reflect Belgium's obligation to promote the realization of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination."

Efforts to recognize Palestine have been ongoing in Belgium, with numerous announcements since November of last year.

Belgium's Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib has reiterated that, while there is a consensus among the country's regional governments on the issue, the official announcement of recognition will be made "at the right time."

This push from Belgian civil society comes in the wake of similar actions by other European countries.

This push from Belgian civil society follows similar actions taken by other European countries.

Spain, Norway, and Ireland recognized Palestine on May 28, with Slovenia following on June 4.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 36,650 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 83,300 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.