Belgium Foreign Minister Says Only 'Genocide' Could Describe Israeli War on Gaza

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Belgium Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot for the first time used the term 'genocide' to describe what is happening in Gaza.

"Only the word ‘genocide' can describe what is happening in Gaza," said Maxime Prevot, as quoted by Anadolu and Middle East Eye.

"As the foreign minister, it is not up to me to make such statements. But my personal opinion is that this is very close to genocide. I don’t know what other horrors have yet to occur before that word can be used," Prevot said in an interview with Humo Magazine on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.

Prevot expressed his anger by saying, "They make me very angry. I have been saying since April that the humanitarian blockade is an absolute disgrace. Deliberately starving a population is a war crime," he responded when asked about the horrible images of war-torn Gaza.

An astonishing level of starvation is affecting Gaza due to the humanitarian aid blockade by Israel since March 2. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report, 1.95 million Palestinians—93 percent of Gaza's population—are facing acute food shortages.

He also stressed that the governments of Belgium and other European countries should increase diplomatic pressure on Israel, such as imposing sanctions.

"I am in favor of sanctions against the military and political leaders on both sides and against the Jewish settlers who are forcibly evicting the Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank. It is no longer enough for the Belgian government to condemn the situation; actions are needed to make Israel move," he said.

However, Prevot realizes that not all coalition parties have the same opinion.

"And a condition for European sanctions is that all member states give their approval, including countries such as Germany, Italy, and Hungary," he added.

Prevot also hopes that Trump's administration will change its attitude towards Israel.

Prevot is a member of the centrist party ''Les Engagés'' in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever of the Conservative NV-A party. The Belgian government has so far refused to use the term ''genocide.''

Prevot said that he believes it is time to recognize the state of Palestine, but what is most important is to ‘’to break the Israeli blockade."

"The second step is an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. Only then can we start working on a Palestinian state, although this will also depend on the dismantling of Hamas."

On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, precisely 600 days of Israel's genocide in Gaza, the death toll has exceeded 54,000 Palestinians, with the majority of the victims being women and children. At least 54,056 Palestinians have died as of Tuesday.

In the last 24 hours, 79 Palestinians have died and 163 others have been injured in Israel's attacks in various areas in the Gaza Strip, said health authorities in a press statement, adding that the statistical data does not include hospitals in the North Gaza Governorate due to the difficulty of access there.

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