Belgian King Slams Israel's Actions in Gaza as 'A Disgrace to Humanity'

As reported by Politico, the Belgian monarch made the remarks in a speech delivered on the Sunday prior to the country’s national holiday on July 21.

He also expressed support for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’s appeal to “an immediate end to this unbearable crisis.”

The following day, Al Jazeera reported that Belgian police briefly detained two Israeli citizens who were on vacation in the country, before releasing them.

The arrest followed a complaint from the Hind Rajab Foundation, a human rights organization, which alleged that the individuals may be involved in “grave international crimes, including war crimes and genocide” in Gaza.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that it was coordinating with the Israeli military on the matter, though it did not provide further information.

Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office said it had “asked police to locate and interview the two persons mentioned in the complaint when they attended the Tomorrowland festival in the country,” but offered no additional details.

Since Sunday, at least 95 Palestinians seeking aid have reportedly been killed by Israeli forces, many near the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza. More than 150 others were reported injured.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, an additional 19 people have died from starvation.

These incidents followed the deaths of at least 32 Palestinians on Saturday. Eyewitnesses said Israeli forces opened fire as civilians gathered near food distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

The foundation, backed by the United States and Israel, has been involved in relief efforts in Gaza since May. However, the UN Human Rights Office reported that as of July 13, at least 674 people had been killed near its distribution centers.

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV also condemned the violence. Speaking after the Angelus prayer, he said, “I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war.”

His comments came days after Israeli forces reportedly fired on the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people. The Pope urged “the prohibition of collective punishment [and] the indiscriminate use of force.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesperson on Monday, voiced alarm over the worsening situation. “The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the last lifeline that keeps people alive is crumbling,” said spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.

Despite the escalating violence, senior officials in the European Union have not issued public statements in response.

On Tuesday, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels declined to impose sanctions on Israel. This decision came even though the EU’s High Representative, Kaja Kallas, described the humanitarian conditions in Gaza as “catastrophic.”

“We don’t have a ceasefire, and that’s why it is so much harder to provide that aid,” Kallas said following the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on July 15.

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