“Belgium is actively considering all possible options to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza as quickly as possible. Our priority is clear: to ensure that the Palestinian population has access to sufficient, efficient and independent humanitarian aid,” the office of foreign minister Maxime Prévot clarified on Sunday afternoon after an interview with the Israeli ambassador earlier on Sunday.
Israeli concerns over aid distribution
Ambassador Idit Rosenzweig-Abu said in De Zevende Dag that Belgian aid for Gaza is welcome but that Israel itself wants to control the food distribution and prevent it from falling into the hands of Hamas. 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 “our country has not yet requested permission to fly over Israeli territory as part of B-FAST.”
B-FAST logistics
Prévot’s office clarified that Belgium has responded to a new request from the Palestinian Authority via the European coordination mechanism to supply medical equipment. “B-FAST, the Belgian rapid intervention team for disasters, is in close contact with the Palestinian Authority to organise this aid. 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,” the cabinet said.
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 unrestricted humanitarian 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,” it added.
CD&V chairman Sammy Mahdi urged the federal government to act swiftly. He also criticised Israel’s approach, claiming the Netanyahu government wants to use aid distribution to concentrate civilians in one place and thereby facilitate military control over other areas of Gaza.
